The Bain of a Monster Girl
by Angryarcher44
Summary: This is my first ever Fan Fiction! Hope you guys enjoy it! This is the story of a young farm boy who leaves the safety of his home to rescue his little brother who was taken by a love sick monster girl. Will he find him and return home safely? Will he be able to hold on to his innocence? Probably not... but he'll give it a go!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Just a Farm Boy

The sound of hooves clapping on dry soil woke me from my peaceful slumber under the apple tree sitting just in front our home as I quickly pulled myself up from the soft, green grass and nervously made my way to the fence that separated our property from the main road called Trotters Path.

Leaning over the fence I identified the approaching traveller, "Oh no!" I yelped as I quickly ran back inside the house and closed the door behind me with gentle thud. I peered nervously from out the window as the stranger galloped by and my fears were confirmed, she was not a horseman, no, she was a monster girl. A Centaur to be exact, even if she was just a traveller going about her business I wasn't to going to take any chances, Father told me to keep away from them and I planned to do just that!

I should probably introduce myself, the names Bain Kolf-Skot, not really much to say about myself to be honest, I'm just a ten year old boy living on a farm with my family which consists of my Father, Mother, little sister and baby brother. I don't really do much at home other than help my Father with tending to the various crops and livestock that we either sell to passing merchants or eat at our table. When I'm not working im either running around in the fields with my sister Tania or in the barn practicing with a short, but powerful yew bow my Father made for me to hunt the rabbits and crows that plague our property.

I don't mind helping out at home and I'm getting better with the bow every day, but I'm starting to feel like I could do so much more with my life outside the farm, but sadly, I've never even travelled past the front gate! Why you may ask? Well it's quite simple really; the world I live in is filled with monsters that crave the flesh of men….. Sort of, they used to a long time ago but Father told me some sort of magic has turned them into woman that look a lot more like us and are able to talk and think creatively like we do. Despite this however, their still dangerous and regularly hunt humans (particularly men) but every time I ask him what they would do to us if we were ever caught he just goes red in the face and tells me I will learn about it when I'm older. It doesn't really bother me as he always seems to know best, taking good care of all of us and telling me so many tales of noble knights and fearless explorers traveling to some of the most dangerous places in the known world, rescuing princesses and slaying vicious dragons and minotaur's with spells and steel.

My Mother's always been a gentle and loving woman, but as the years go by she's starting to weaken from some unknown illness affecting her from within, we try our best to keep her happy but there are days when she can't even leave her bed, requiring Tania and myself to do the house work for her and Fathers tries his best to lighten the mood around the house with silly jokes and annoying pranks but i'm starting to get worried about her.

Tania and I have been inseparable since the day she was born, always running around during the day looking for anything to pass the time, at night she would always bake cakes for the family to eat that always taste delicious and we always talk about how exciting it would be to explore the world outside but just like me, my sister would be considered prey to some of the monsters that lurk in the darkness of the forest's, ocean's and desert's beyond the safety of the farm.

The only one in this family that rubs me up the wrong way is my baby brother, Sherwin, Only two years old and he's already causing trouble! He cries almost every time he's put to bed or told off for something and he's always following me around annoying me with his half sentenced question on everything he sees! Everyone says he'll grow out of it but mark my words. "He will cause me nothing but trouble."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Two Boys, One Stone

 **Hey guys sorry the last chapter was so short, for now on I'm going have a minimum of 1000 words per chapter. Hope this one makes up for it!**

"Hey Bain, Quite standing about and help me with this!" Father's shouting snapped me out of my day dream and I quickly made my way to a now middle aged man with the hairs on his beard beginning to grey. "Sorry old man," I said apologetically scratching my head "just got distracted." Shaking his head he handed me a knife and I began skinning one of the rabbits that were snared last night, their numbers have been increasing for some reason and it's becoming a serious problem. "I know you were distracted," he grumbled as he started gutting his own "you've been doing that a lot lately and you need to keep your head on straight or you'll hurt yourself someday." I just rolled my eyes and grumbled "ok" and we continued our work without another word.

Three years have gone by now since that rather brief encounter with the Centaur and not much has really changed since then. Now approaching fourteen years of age I'm a little taller and stronger and with my Father leaving his golden years behind, he needs my help around the farm more than ever. Boredom is now a common thing with me however, and I'm beginning to lose interest in my farm chores much to my Fathers annoyance, though you can't blame a guy for wanting to travel and try new things when it's the same thing every single fu- fracking day! Sorry, I think my man hormones are starting to kick in…..

When we were done Father took the meat to the smoker while I was left to scoop up the insides and fed them to the pigs, with a bucket of water and an old rag I spent the next ten minutes cleaning the knives and then sharpening them with a whet stone. Making my way back to the house I stopped when I saw someone approaching ahead of me, releasing a moan when I realized it was my annoying little brother. At five and a half years old Sherwin was a short, chubby version of me with an annoying air of excitement about him as he began pestering me with his usual nonsense. "Hey big brother!" he yelled out as he tried his best to keep up with my now hastened pace. "What have you been doing? Hunting? Did you catch anything? Did you get a Fox? I bet you shot a fox!" This kid just doesn't know when to shut up. "I've been helping the old man with skinning some rabbits if you have to know" I replied, trying my best to hide my annoyance. "Ewww gross!" He cried out with an over exaggerated look of disgust on his face. "Yeah but it has to be done" I said with a sigh.

After a drink of water from the well and eating some bread my sister kindly baked me, I quietly entered my parents' bedroom to check on my Mother who was now snoring soundly in her bed, sadly her condition hasn't improved but with Tania taking over the housework and Sherwin helping things aren't so bad anymore. From under my bed I pulled out a book heavy with pages and protected with covers made of leather dyed a deep shade of red, on the front was written "Monster Girl Encyclopaedia" Don't give me that look! This is strictly for educational purposes and there is nothing perverted involved!

With the book in my arms I sat myself down under my favourite resting spot right under the apple tree as I have done for the last ten years of my life (my life is so boring) and continued from where I left off earlier "chapter 37: Conflicts between elves and dark elves." My brother meanwhile was running around in the yard swinging a stick around like a sword and singing a stupid song he made up: "Up on the hill and past the mill, an evil demon I must kill, mighty monster turn and flee or else I stab you one two three!" Over and over again, this made it difficult for me to concentrate and I was beginning lose my patience when he suddenly stopped and shouted excitedly "A visitor!" and made his way to the fence, waiting to greet the traveller that was slowly making their way along the road towards our home.

As you already know, I listen to everything my old man tells me and avoid strangers like the plague, my stupid brother however takes great delight in greeting strangers both human and monster girl alike and Im usually the one that has to keep an eye on him when he does this! When he was younger I used to try and grab him and bring him into the house whenever someone approached, but he decided to make this into a game and would have me chasing him all over the yard much to the amusement of whoever is travelling past and despite being so short and chubby he can move rather quickly. Eventually I gave up and decided to just keep close to him whenever he goes to talk to someone but that has problems of its own, being so close to the monster girls means I have to politely converse with them should they turn their attention tome, and many of them seem to enjoy talking as these conversations can often go on for hours at a time! Most of the time they seem quite civil and stay on their side of the fence, but every once in a while some will start making "suggestive" hints my way, after having a few panic attacks the first couple of times I've gotten used to it and politely decline despite their eagerness, now knowing what that actually do to humans I'm not as scared of them as I used to be but I'm not really ready for such things….although I have been tempted on the odd occasion.

"Hello! How are you!? Im Sherwin and this is my brother Bain!" I was already standing next to him by the time the stranger was standing just in front of him and it didn't take me long to figure out that she was a Nekomata, she wore nothing but two straps of leather that were wrapped around her lower and upper body like a Mummy, her skin was tanned yet unblemished and her body was petite yet curvy at the same time. Two ginger tails with white stripes swayed peacefully behind her and a messy heap of hair of an identical colour almost covered her entire face but a pair of yellow eyes with sharp pupils could be seen hidden within and they made me nervous. "Well hello there! It's very nice to meet you boy's nya!" Her voice was sweet and almost purred like a kitten, her ears drooped slightly as she spoke and she raised one of her furry paws into the air like a cat which I admit looked rather cute. "Err yeah great to meet you too" I said nervously, trying my best to stay calm despite the rather alluring odour that was filling my nostrils and making my heart race, "My name is Kat nya! (Of course it is) Im looking for a husband! (Of course you are) are either of you interested nya?" (Of course I would- wait what?) "Oh um that's very kind of you to offer but were both a little young for that ahaha!" This didn't seem to be a problem for her however, and before I could even blink my brother was in the hands of a very excited Nekomata being prodded and examined as he giggled from all the tickling he was receiving. "That's ok sweetie I can wait a few years for this one to grow a little nya!"

I was startled from the sudden abduction but I soon recovered and for the first time in my life, I was on the other side of the fence, trying my best to look tough in front of Kat who now had her eyes fixed hungrily on me! "Let go of my brother right now, he is not for you to keep" With a lustful grin she put my brother down and was now standing over me with a look of hunger and desire burning deep in her eyes. "Your right," she said softly, her breathing becoming heavy," I'll have you instead nya!" By some miracle a rock was sitting right next to me on the ground and it fitted perfectly in my hand as I held it up at her ready to strike, "just try it, I dare you!" She didn't even hesitate, she reached out to grab a hold of me but I quickly jumped back and swung the rock at her paw like it was a club. I might not be very big but years of working at the farm have made me strong, and the impact was enough to make her pull back her hand with a very surprized look on her face. I saw an opening and charging forward, I jumped into the air and struck her in the cheek with a force that would likely have broken my own teeth. "Yeoow! You filthy rat! She screamed out as I jumped back, waiting for her next move, sadly I wasn't fast enough, before I could even think she came at me with her claws now protracted and slashed me across the face. "Aghhh shit!" I cried out as I fell to the ground holding the left side of my face as blood began pouring from my wound. "Serves you right for making this so difficult" she hissed, baring her sharp teeth. She was now making her way towards me and was about to grab me when "No! Leave him alone!" My little brother was now pulling on one of her tails which was clearly causing her a lot of discomfort. "Get off me you brat or I'll have you too!" Suddenly my sister's screams could be heard as she ran out of the house. "Father help! Help us!" Snarling, Kat realized she was running out of time. "Fine! You'll just have to do little boy!" Sherwin tried to run but Kat quickly had him in her arms again and she quickly turned and fled back the way she came. I couldn't get up, too much pain! I wasn't good enough! Now i'm on the ground in a puddle of my own blood and my brothers cries for help ringing in my ear. My brother was gone, and it was my fault.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: It's now or never

The sun was setting when I stormed out of the house, an old tablecloth strapped over the wound I received earlier, a fresh cut on my lip, and my yew bow held tightly in my hand. Father was not happy when he found out what happened, the swelling on my lip was proof of that, but his words cut far deeper than Kat's claws ever could. I know he was just sad that Sherwin was gone, but he was right, "It's all my fault" I muttered as I made my way to the fields with no idea where I was going. I just needed to be alone.

Scanning my surroundings I searched for something, anything! I didn't care what I found, I just wanted to draw my bow and let my arrows fly, like a bird soaring high above the clouds, mountains and forests. I wanted to be free. In the distance I caught the faintest of movement just ahead of me. A rabbit, nibbling on one of the carrots we were growing in the fields. For some reason this pushed me to my tipping point, without thinking I pulled an arrow out of my quiver and positioned my bow. It wasn't that big, and I had to have been at least thirty metres away, I didn't care though, I was so angry I didn't even aim when I released the arrow as it flew out of my hand and straight towards my target "…..I hit it?" "Bloody hell!" I whispered as I ran to the unmoving heap of fur on the ground. It took me a moment to realize what I was looking at. The arrow had not only hit its mark, it had gone right through one eye and was now sticking out the other!

For a moment my anger was replaced with excitement and pride at my ridiculously lucky shot, and then something occurred to me, things could have been different. If I had my bow with me she wouldn't have stood a chance against me! Sherwin would still be here and I would have both my eyes intact! I felt my entire body boil over as thoughts of revenge and redemption began flooding my mind. I need to find my brother! Bring him back home! Kat was going to pay! not sure how, but she was going to pay! Running away from home seemed crazy but staying here and living with my mistakes seemed a whole lot worse!

I quietly made my way back towards the house and crept into the shed, emerging with my rain cloak, a knife, some dried beef and a quiver packed with a dozen of my best arrows, I sharpened my arrows every day and these were made just a few days ago. For the second time today (and my entire life) I was standing on the road, Trotters Path as I have already told you, It's actually called that because of the number of horsemen and Centaurs that travel through here every day as the road is quite smooth and safe to run on. But today was different however; it rained just this morning, leaving the ground soft and moist. A puddle of blood could still be seen mixed in with the mud as I inspected the crime scene, but what I had my attention on was the footprints Kat had kindly left behind. The fact that she didn't wear any shoes was good, her paw marks were quite easy to distinguish and it would be hard for me to lose them especially with Sherwin's added weight that seemed to deepen her prints slightly.

I made my way along the road at a fast, maintainable pace, the clouds had cleared by now and it was quite easy for me to see the path ahead of me. Unfortunately I was only about half a mile into my little adventure when a problem occurred, the tracks veered off the road to the right, taking me to the borders of Moanwood, a place I really didn't want to go to. I don't think I need to explain to you why it was given that name; it's basically alive with monster girls of all shapes and sizes, colours and desires! What bothered me most was the lack of moonlight that penetrated the trees as it made it basically impossible for me to see the paw prints in the grass. Moving a little further into the trees and away from the road I sat myself down against the comfiest looking tree I could find (still wasn't very comfortable) and waited. After a while the adrenaline had left my system and I was beginning to feel very cold, very scared and very stupid. "What am I doing here?" I asked myself after yet another howl (and the occasional moan) echoed through the trees all around me, it was like they were alive, watching me, and I didn't like it.

By the time the sun had risen I was struggling to keep my eyes (eye) open and another issue appeared, I didn't bring any water with me. I cant believe I didn't take some water from the well! I should be able to find some kind of river or lake in the forest as I'm tracking Kat down, but I would have to be careful not to lose her trail (or to get lost in general.) Food wasn't a problem at least, I still had some left over this morning and I shouldn't have any problem finding fruits and berries along the way, I just needed to make sure I ate the safe ones. After a few stretches and a pray to the chief god I began my long, exhausting trek through Moanwood.

With the forest now filled with the morning light I realized it wasn't actually as spooky as I first thought, there were oak and birch trees everywhere I looked and yet they didn't seem to be swelling with demonic energy as far as I could tell, the odd lizard and squirrel that scurried by didn't seem interested in violating me either (thank goodness for that!) and the birds happily sang to one another in the branches above. The only thing that made me nervous was the sound of laughing and singing in the distance, it didn't sound evil or corrupt, more like innocent children playing amongst the trees without a care in the world, but I had no doubt it was just some trick or spell conjured by a horny monster hoping to attract an unsuspecting male! It was about halfway into the day when I came to a sudden halt. "Where did the footprints go?" I asked myself, my voice rising in panic. I looked further ahead to see if there was any trace of her tracks... nope!

"Well shit!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Bare in the Woods

Well, this is turning into a big waste of time! I'm supposed to be tracking down a crazy Nekomata who has my stupid little brother and yet I find myself in the middle of a forest, (full of monster girls) I'm thirsty, tired and worst of all, I've lost the fucking trail! "Gahhhh! What the hell am I even doing her!?" I screamed out loud, falling to the ground with my hands over my head. I took a few deep breaths, forcing back the tears welling up in my eyes. "Just calm down Bain," I said to myself as I slowly rose to my feet again, "Just think, look at what's around you and think." I decided to have another look at the paw prints on the ground; hopefully they would give me a clue to how she miraculously disappeared.

Moving back to some of the older prints, I looked closely and noticed that they were moving further apart and setting deeper into the ground with each step she took, this means she was increasing her speed before she disappeared. The very last two paw prints on the ground sat next to one another and were at least a metre away from the main trail, it looked as though is she had skipped or jumped into the air and then landed flat on her feet after a run-up. This kind of reminded me of the game hopscotch, Tania and I used to play that game when we were kids, but why did she jump in the first place? The final clue was the toe marks; they were set deeper into the ground than the pads were, but why? Did she jump again? I looked at the path in front of the paw prints to figure out why she would jump, there were no rocks or logs blocking her path, a few bushes and plenty of trees were around me but that was it. "…..trees….."

I looked up and saw the branch of an old oak that hanged over the path ahead of me, too far and high for me to reach in a jump, but perhaps not for a Nekomana. I don't like heights, simple as that. But with this being my only chance of finding her trail again I didn't really have much choice. Fortunately the oak I was climbing had plenty of large, thick branches to grab onto as I slowly made my way up the tree. I kept a grip on any sticks I could reach to help me keep my balance I started to type rope along the branch, looking for any signs of disturbance, sure enough, I found it.

I was so excited when I saw the claw marks on the branch I gave out a victorious "woo hoo!" and almost immediately after a big "oh crap!" I realized that if I was going to follow Kat I would have to somehow move from tree to tree without falling or losing my sense of direction! That's impossible…..isn't it? Climbing up and down every tree looking for some scratch marks would be stupid and ridiculously slow paced. I suppose I could move through the branches like Kat did but I'm not a Nekomana, and a fall from this height could result in a broken leg and an easy husband for a passing monster girl. After considering my options I realized that there wasn't really any other way I could do this, and with Kat moving further away from me every passing second, I couldn't afford to waste any more time.

It felt awkward at first, moving from tree to tree, stepping onto one branch after another, looking over each one for any claw marks whilst keeping track of where I was going so I wouldn't end up getting lost. A lot of the trees were sticky and rough to the touch, infested with bugs that bit at my skin and the occasional nesting hawk or sparrow that swooped me when I got too close. At one point I found myself on top of a branch that hanged just above a sleeping Oni, her skin was a brilliant shade of red with leopard skin rags covering her privates and particularly large bosom, unsurprisingly she had bottles of sake next to her with a couple still containing their watery contents. I was thirsty, but I don't think sake was going to help, and I wasn't going to start trouble with someone that had the strength of a dozen men and a temper to match. Eventually I started to get a good idea which branch Kat would jump to next, as she seemed to move in a zig-zag pattern onto branches that were usually overhanging at roughly the same height as what she was standing on.

Over time the fear of falling slowly fading away, and after some practice I was beginning to pick up the pace, but with the sun beginning to set, thirst and exhaustion started taking its toll and eventually I had to stop and rest for the night. I didn't really want to sleep with monster girls all over the place but I hadn't slept for almost two days now and I needed to keep my energy up if I wanted to keep moving through the trees tomorrow. I know how to make a fire with sticks and everything, but that would probably attract every horny creature in this forest like moths to a light, I was just gonna have to spend another cold night in the woods. With a bed made from a pile of leaves it didn't take me very long to fall asleep, the singing in the distance gave me a strange sense of safety and peace as I began to dream. I was back home sitting by the fire place, the warm flames filling me with warmth that felt strangely like a heartbeat. I could feel someone holding me tightly from behind in a loving embrace, a woman was singing beautifully in my ears as the itching of my skin and the dryness of my mouth began to fade, it was as though if I had entered the heavens, my body and soul now cleansed and healed, all my troubles and doubts were left far behind me. I was at peace.

It was the light of the sun that made me stir, feeling and thoughts began returning to me and I began to feel as though something wasn't right, I felt strangely warm and comfortable despite spending a night on some leaves, the bites and thirst that pained me yesterday were miraculously gone, and I could feel something holding me….something warm….and…alive? I opened my eyes and found myself inches from a gentle face with bright emerald eyes, her head was covered in short brown hair that was messy and uneven with cute little bear ears sitting on top. "Well good morning!" She cooed gently, her voice was sweet but confident and proud. "Mmmpfff!" I tried to speak only to find that she was holding me tightly to her chest, and she was naked! "What? Oh! I'm sorry!" she cried out apologetically as she adjusted her grip, giving me enough room to speak.

"Who are you?" I asked as I nervously tried to break free of her powerful grip. "What are you doing? Please don't hurt me!" "It's ok sweetie, I'm not gonna hurt you" she said with a gentle smile. "I saw you sleeping on the ground and decided to keep you warm with my body heat" "Really? Why would you do that?" My tone may have sounded a little aggressive but I'm sure you would freak out if you woke up with a naked person cuddling up to you! "Well you just looked really cold sleeping there!" She replied calmly, though I noticed her expression saddening slightly. "You looked thirsty too so I gave you some water and put some lotion of those nasty bites on your body as well" I suddenly realized how harsh my words were and held my head low with shame. "Thank you for helping me, and I'm sorry for being so rude, the last two days have been kinda rough for me as you can tell." Her mood brightened almost immediately, pulling me into another tight embrace that made my face turn red. "Aww it's alright little fella I forgive you! But what are you doing out here anyways?"

"I'm trying to track down a nekomata, she has my little brother and I want to bring him back home." There was no point in lying to her, she didn't seem dangerous (at the moment) and asking locals around for help might not be a bad idea. "Oh that's horrible!" she cried out. "Is that why you were moving through all those trees yesterday?" "You saw me doing that?" I asked nervously, my cheeks turning red again. "I probably looked pretty ridiculous doing that considering I'm not that good a climber eh?" "You didn't do too badly for a human." She gave me a gently nudge in the ribs and winked, "But if you like I can help by following her scent with my nose!" "Oh, umm….well thanks, you sure you ok with helping me?" Even though she helped me last night she could easily lead me to a cave and keep me for herself if I wasn't careful. "It's fine sweetie I'm happy to give you a hand!" she announced, getting to her feet and putting her cloths (technically furs) back on and started climbing the tree above me before I could even begin to argue. "Now what exactly am I looking for?" "She leaves claw marks on the branches she jumps onto, they might have traces of her scent."

"Okie dokie!" She cried out from above, the sound of sticks breaking and leaves rustling helped me pinpoint her location as she began searching for the trail that I had been following. "Found it!" She called out excitedly, she began sniffing the mark on the branch and then turned her nose to the air for any trace of her. "Her scents faint but I can lead you in the direction she was moving in from the ground!" "Really? Terrific!" I shouted in return, if we can follow her on foot, catching up to her might now be possible. Jumping back to the ground, the grizzly began following Kat's scent as she moved along a seemingly invisible trail while I followed closely behind. Her nose seemed to be doing its job as we were now moving at a very good pace through the woods, I kept my bow at the ready, just to be safe, fortunately I didn't have to use it as we soon found her paw prints on the ground again, eventually leading us to a sight that caught me by surprise.

Buildings, hundreds of buildings sitting alongside one another in a massive valley sitting right in the middle of Moanwood! A massive wall made from timber and stone surrounded the area with armed soldiers patrolling the gates, from up on the hill we were standing on I could see hundreds of humans and monsters moving amongst the massive structures, some reaching four stories high! Many of the trees were likely cut down to make room for the settlers but it was still rather strange seeing so many houses and shops bunched together in a place that seemed wild and uninhabited at first glance. "So this is what a town looks like" I said aloud, the grizzly heard me and gave a hearty laugh. "You never been to a town or village before?" she asked. "No, I haven't actually" I admitted, scratching my head awkwardly. "Well from the look of those tracks, I'd say she might have entered through the main gate, she could still be there! I'd go down there with you and everything but sadly, I don't do so well in crowded areas, you'll have to find her on your own from here" "That's fine, thank you so much for helping me." I held out my hand for her to shake, only to find myself in another awkward embrace with the rather affectionate grizzly. "You never actually told me your name you know?" "Really?" she said as she thought back on it. "Yeah your right! The names Gaia." "Bain, it was meeting you Gaia, I'll see you around I guess." "Actually, before go I need to ask you something." I froze mid step, apprehensive to what her question was going to be.

"When you find that nekomana, what do you actually plan to do when you find her?" "I….well, you mean how I'm going to get him back?" I asked, my heart now beating properly. She bit down on her lip and began fiddling with her hair "Well not quite, I could tell from the injuries on your face that you two don't seem to be very close friends, what I meant was if you find her, are you gonna to try something dangerous that could get someone killed?" The question caught me off guard, was I going to fight her again? What would happen if I won? Would I kill her? Would she kill me if I lost? "I see what you're saying," I said as I subconsciously placed a hand over my left eye "I'd like to avoid a fight if I can, but if it comes to that….." I didn't really know how to finish that sentence; I never killed a person before, Kat might not be human but she was still technically a person. Gaia placed a gentle hand on my shoulder as I pondered these words. "I just ask that you don't put anyone's lives in danger for the sake of revenge, it'll only make things worse ya know?" Without another word Gaia turned and walked back the way she came, leaving me alone to my thoughts as I began making my way down to the town gates.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Gussied Up

"Hold it right there boy!" One of the guardsmen called out as she approached me with a strong air of authority about her, I should be allowed inside as long as I act in a polite and friendly manor (hopefully there won't be an entry fee). "Err right, hello …ma'am." I responded nervously as she stood over me, her sword hanging menacingly on her belt. Looking closely at her I realized I was talking to a golem, servants made by demons and mages using clay and magic to do their bidding. Her arms and legs were covered in a thick layer of what was no doubt clay that looked more like dry soil than armour. Her skin was a dark shade of tan that looked surprisingly soft and the only thing covering her bountiful features was a thong bikini made from leather. The one thing I didn't like about her was the unnaturally cold expression on her face as she looked me over with eyes that glowed a bright shade of pink. Looking past her I realized that the other guardsmen on duty were also golem with almost identical features (maybe this town is run by a powerful sorcerer). "Is something wrong?" the golem asked calmly as she noticed my gazing. "Huh? Oh err no sorry, just looking around" I replied with a forced smile, this woman was making me very uncomfortable. With a final look over the golem turned and walked back to the gate, gesturing to me to follow, "You may enter Timber Town if you wish, but you will be punished should you cause any unnecessary trouble for the townsfolk." (Unnecessary?) "Oh, well thank you, I'll do my best."

No sooner did I pass through the gates I found myself surrounded by what had to have been hundreds of humans and monster girls as they made their way along the main roads, talking and laughing loudly as they went about their daily lives. The noise and crowding was overwhelming and I soon found myself standing in a secluded corner, taking a few deep breaths as I adjusted to my new surroundings. "I can see why Gaia didn't want to come here." I muttered to myself as I started looking around; with so many people walking around following her paw prints was now virtually impossible, if I was going to find her I would have to search the area and ask some of the locals for information.I moved from one street to another, asking any passing humans if they'd seen a ginger nekomana with a little boy in their arms. Unfortunately no one could recall encountering any recently, and with so many people oddly staring at me as I walked along the main road I was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. There were many side streets that parted from the main road, but they looked empty and dangerous, not the kind of place a young man like me should be sniffing around in. All around me were stalls and shops being run by people who were dressed in strange cloths and spoke in exotic accents, selling weapons made from unknown materials, clothing that came in beautiful colours, and artefacts that had a mystical look about them. A bow carved from dragon bone caught my attention the most, the string was made from unicorn hair and diamond tipped arrows were stored in a quiver made from Hardhorner leather dyed a deep shade of red. Sadly I didn't have a single coin to my name and I was beginning to get very hungry and thirsty, fortunately an old woman agreed to give me some water and apples for helping her carry some wheat to the upper district and with my hunger and thirst taken care of, I continued my search.

The upper district was very different to the rest of Timber Town, the dusty roads were replaced with white marbled stones that were free of beggars and merchants, and instead bards were singing and playing strange yet beautiful songs, amusing the crowds with interesting stories and dazzling magic tricks as I walked along the path ahead of me, marvelling at the spectacular sights before me. Many of it's buildings seemed to be dedicated to selling a wide variety and merchandise of exquisite quality, and I couldn't help but stop and gaze at what was on offer. I was looking at an interesting scroll through a shop window when I suddenly noticed my reflection and jumped back in disgust. My dark brown hair was like a birds nest, twisting and curling in all directions with a few twigs sicking out here and there, the pimples on my face had multiplied as I have been unable to wash myself since leaving home, and opening my mouth I almost fainted when I saw the plaque covering my beautiful teeth! Ever since my adult teeth came along I took great pride in keeping them clean and fresh, brushing them twice a day with a datum and then rinsing with whisky (never actually drank the stuff though.) My teeth were perfectly straight when I was little, sadly I took a rather painful kick to the face by an angry ram a few years ago and my front teeth are now crooked and uneven, I find it so embarrassing I don't smile in front of people anymore, not that I'm a gloomy person or anything! I just don't want people seeing them! The patch of leather covering my eye was now beginning to smell bad and I was becoming painfully aware of the itching coming from my wound underneath (no wonder people were staring at me…..) I would have to have my eye looked at by a doctor if I can find one, but first I should make myself a little more presentable, especially in such a prestigious area. After picking the twigs out of my hair I used my hands to neaten it up as best I could, with that taken care of I popped some of the more noticeable pimples that dotted my face and wiped off some dirt that was on my right cheek, the swelling on my lips had thankfully gone down yesterday and after picking my teeth roughly with my fingers I was ready to go! But no sooner did I turn around I found my path blocked by a little girl as she excitedly cried out a big, hearty "Hello!"

"For the love of Asger!" I cried out as I jumped back in surprize, hitting my head hard on the glass window as I fell to my knees rubbing the back of my head. "Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow!" "Oh my gosh! Are you ok!?" The little girl pulled me towards her with amazing strength, hugging me tightly as she repeatedly apologized for startling me. After awkwardly patting her head she let go of me and took a step back, I held back a yelp when I realized I was kneeling in front of a fracking goblin! You can't blame me for mistaking her for a child, she was only about four foot tall and her frame more closely resembled a little girl that was beginning to flower. But I read from the encyclopaedia that they were a particularly strong and savage breed of monsters, hunting in packs in search of men, gang raping them and then dragging them to their homes to keep as 'husbands.' I looked around to see if there were any more nearby…..nope. Turning my attention back to her I noticed she was wearing a tight pink dress with a ribbon made from fine silks tied around her waist, her frilly hemline hung just over her knees and her neckline was decorated with a pleat that shone like snow in the sunlight, She looked more like a princess than a barbarian.

"C-Can I help you young lady?" I asked, trying to stay calm, she might not be dangerous, maybe she just wants to talk, yeah! Just wants to talk! "My names Amina the goblin!" she declared, giving me a small curtsy and an adorable smile that threatened to melt my heart. Overall she was quite cute; her skin was slightly more pale than my own and was completely unblemished. Straight, strawberry red hair with streaks of pink came down past her long, pointed ears with a fringe covered most of her forehead. She had a small, pointed nose with her two lower canines poked cutely out of her mouth, her eyes were a bright shade of blue, gentle and warm, with a sparkle that showed her seemingly boundless energy and youth. Her cheeks turned bright red and her smile widened as it took me a moment to realize I was staring at her for far too long! "N-N-Nice to meet you A-Amina." I looked away to hide my face which was now turning a similar shade of red. "Aren't you going to tell me your name?" "What? Oh right! Sorry, my names Bain Kolf-Skot." "Oooh that's a nice name! Are you a hunter?" "Well, no actually I'm just a farm boy." I felt strangely embarrassed telling her about myself, "there's not really anything interesting about me I'm afraid." "Really?" she asked, holding a hand under her chin as she looked me over. "You look pretty interesting to me! But that's ok!" She cried out excitedly. "I can learn more about you when we go on our first date!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Given the Shaft

"…..W-What did you just say?" Amina held her hands to her chest as she sweetly sang out "A date! A date! Where going on a daaaaate! Where going on a daaaaate!" Once again I had my back hard against the glass window as I began to panic from the sudden invitation. Yes, I've never been on a date before as you could probably already tell, she was cute and everything, but I was a little busy at the moment and really didn't need any distractions. "Th-th-that's very generous of you to offer but I'm afraid I can't at the moment." Amina took a step towards me and put a rather cute looking pout on her face. "Don't you like me Bain?" she asked as I began to shake from the pressure I could feel building upon me. "No no it's not that!" I responded with a very shaky voice "I think your very nice young lady!" (Probably shouldn't say that sort of stuff to a monster girl eh?) Sadly my added comment only seemed to have added oil to the fire and now Amina had a rather perverted look on her face, her cheeks now a very deep shade of red and her hands held tightly over her nether regions. "I'm glad you think so" she just about whispered these words to me as she began leaning towards me with her lips prepared for what was undoubtedly going to be a kiss.

What can I say? I panicked! Simple as that! I never kissed a girl before (other than my Mother and sister of course) and with the situation I was currently in I wasn't really thinking straight! Without even hesitating I pulled my bow off over my shoulder and took aim as she closed in, her eyes were closed so she was completely unaware of what I was doing and the sound of a whip slapping the ground could be heard as I landed a direct blow to the head.

Not with an arrow of course! I wasn't going to kill her! I just swung at her by the hilt like a club, she didn't even scream, she just fell to the ground with a gentle thud and a small moan. Without even pausing to apologize I bolted down the street as fast as my legs could carry me, weaving through startled citizens and the occasional guard as I went down every turn and side path I came across, If she decided to pursue me and got a hold of me I would be done for! Eventually I ran out of steam and stopped to rest in one alley ways that looked to be completely deserted (aside from a few rats eating something out of a trash can).

As I began to recover from my ordeal my fear and excitement was soon replaced with guilt and concern, she didn't actually try to hurt me did she? She just wanted to go on a date and when she tried to kiss me I decide to whack her over the head like some mindless orc! She might be lying on the ground with a horrible concussion! Crying her eyes out as people walk by without a care in the world! I forced myself back to my feet with renewed strength and purpose; I was going to find Amina and apologize to her for what I had done and go on that date with her! That's what I was GOING to do, but no sooner did I stand up I found myself back on the ground again as something small but powerful had tackled me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me, and was now leaning over me, breathing heavily on my face, but why did it smell so sweet?

I opened my eyes and found myself being pinned down by Amina, her face twisted with anger and pain, a horrible gash sat on her forehead as she did her best to hold back her tears that threatened to pour at any moment. I tried to speak but I was still gasping for air from her surprise attack (though I doubt it would've made any difference.) "What the hell did you bonk me on the head for you little twat!" She screamed out furiously, "I just wanted a kiss and you do THIS to me? After a tense pause she was no longer able to hold it in; I was now being showered in salty tears as she continued her rant, though this gradually turned into a sad babble of words drowned in wretches and sobs as I began to realize that the wound to her head was nothing compared to the pain she felt inside. Eventually I was able to sit myself up as she held her head to my chest and cried softly, occasionally calling me a jerk which in all fairness, I rightly deserved. Looking her over I realized she was only wearing her undergarments, she must have ditched her dress so she could chase after me, not that it mattered at the moment, I had to fix this.

"I'm really sorry I did that to you." I said as gently as I could, holding back my own tears. "I just panicked and didn't know what to do." (Just don't start crying yourself Bain) Amina looked up at me with a confused look on her face, her eyes were now blood shot and just like me her face was wet with her own tears. "What do you mean? *sniff* you never kissed someone before?" "Oh ah, well…..no not really." The question made my face go red again, and having Amina in a fit of giggles didn't really help either. (At least she's not crying anymore.) Eventually she calmed down enough that she could speak "That's so cute! Who old even are you?" "I'm almost fourteen." The answer seemed to have taken her by surprise as she hastily jumped off of me and looked at me with a look of concern on her face. "Oh my goodness I'm so sorry! I didn't realize you were so young! I didn't hurt you did I?" "Not seriously, but I'm more worried about you, is your head ok? "Huh? Oh yeah don't worry you didn't hit me that hard!" She declared happily, her mood quickly changed back to concern as she looked me over. "But why are you out here on my own? You look like you've had it rough recently" (You can say that again.)

After taking a deep breath I began to explain to her what had happened two days ago; The fight with Kat, losing my brother, getting struck by my Father and my rather interesting trek through the woods, which involved jumping along branches like a monkey and getting a cuddle from a naked grizzly. When I finished my story I looked over at Amina to see her reaction, at first she was expressionless, but then she suddenly started crying loudly (again!) And she was now holding me tightly by the neck and I was now struggling to breathe (again!) "Wahhh! I'm so sorry! I can't believe that's happened to you! You're such a brave little guy to be looking for your brother like that wahhhh! (Little?)

I couldn't take it any longer, too much has happened to me in the last couple of days, and now a semi naked goblin was squeezing the life out of me in an abandoned ally way! (All the noise had scared the rats away.) After coaxing her to loosen her grip I started to cry as well, I'm glad no one was around to see this, we would have looked quite ridiculous holding each other tightly, blubbering like a bunch of kids who lost their way in the streets! I'll admit, it wasn't one of my finest moments, but by the time we had finished our little sob fest I felt a whole lot better (If not a little thirsty.)

"So, how about we go on that date?" "What? Really?" We were now back in the upper district, the streets were lit with torches as the sun had already set over the horizon and most of the townsfolk were in their homes having supper (supper sounds really good right now.) "I wish I could get you something to eat and drink, but my pockets are empty I'm afraid….." It was embarrassing to admit it but I was broke, not that Amina seemed to mind, she grabbed a hold of my arm and half walked, half dragged me to a nearby tavern. "That's ok! It'll be my treat!" She sang out excitedly. (She could at least have put some cloths on first….)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Down the hatch

The tavern in question was a massive four story building that resembled a giant oven made from stone held together with large wooden pillars. A warm, welcoming light shone from out of the round windows that ran along its flat surface and a balcony could be seen on the highest level with laughter and singing heard from within. A large wooden sign hanged above the door, carved carefully into it was what looked like a massive cauldron with a devil sticking her head out from the top with a massive smile on her face; it reminded me of those shapeshifters that used pots and pans as cloths….. Jinn of the… something (Not really worth remembering to be honest) and below it were the words: The Devil's Kitchen. The title put me off a little, but I really wanted a meal and Amina seemed to be hell bent on treating me to one!

A holstaur welcomed us warmly from behind the counter as we walked through the door and asked us if we wanted a table, (try to maintain eye contact Bain!) when Amina asked for a table for two a small (and rather emotionless) mantis girl quickly appeared in front of us wearing an apron and led us to a small table on the second floor that sat in a corner near a fireplace, Amina moved her chair over so that she was sitting right next to me and was now holding on to my arm with a blissful expression on her face (at least she had her cloths back on.)

The area was filled with monster girls, most of them were sitting at tables of their own, talking and eating amongst themselves, whilst others sat on stools along a bar being manned by a trio of Dwarves who laughed and gossiped with their patrons as they served them drink after drink after drink. (At least none of them seemed interested in raping me) The fireplace gave the area a warm, relaxing feel as the flames glowed pleasantly from within its metal bars and in the distance I could hear a woman singing something about eternal love. Altogether this made me fell strangely happy and relaxed; even Amina's tight grip couldn't kill the good mood I was in.

Shortly after taking our seats the mantis girl (did I mention she had a creepy look on her face?) asked for our orders: Amina ordered a pork pie with salad and I In turn asked for half a chicken with some corn. Sadly, Amina didn't seem to be worried about my age and asked for two pints of rum to go with our meals, the golden liquid tasted disgusting when I took a tentative sip from my mug and decided to chug the whole thing down to avoid hurting Amina's feeling any more than I already have! "Wow Bain! I didn't know you were so good with your liquor!" Amina was quite impressed when she saw me swallowing down my drink with massive gulps until the whole lot was gone in a matter of seconds! "Hehe, yeah well I guess I'm juuuust a naturaaaal ahahaha! (Why am I laughing so much?) Amina didn't seem to be concerned with my strange behaviour and started laughing with me, her head resting gently on my chest as though if she needed it to support herself.

"Did you want another one sweetie?" "Whaaa? Ah nah ranks, I think Illa have sooome water yeah? Before I knew it a cup of water sat right in front of me, I was so surprised by the cups appearance I my pressed face hard against Amina's and waved a shaky finger at the cup as though it were cursed. "How tha frrrrack did that get ere? It just appeared outa nowhere!" Amina turned bright red from my sudden show of affection and for the first time tonight, she looked more nervous than I did. "Um….. what do you mean? The waitress gave it to you remember?" "Whaaa? That emulous-emotionless weirdo gave it to me?" "…..Um Bain?" Amina whispered quietly, "Yeah?" I then noticed she was looking at something.

I looked over to where she was staring and realized that the emotionless weirdo was right at our table with our food in her arms and as she dropped the dishes in front of us I noticed her left eye twitching dangerously, quickly realizing my mistake despite the drunken state I was in. "Oh I'm showy," I said with as much sincerity in my voice as I could muster, "I'm a wittle fummy at the moment n not thinkin straight ya know?" The poor girl just gave a dignified "Hmpff!" and strode off to another table, leaving me feeling a little sore at my harsh words and stupidity, we spent the next half hour quietly eating our meals and as the rum slowly started leaving my system, my stomach and head was starting to feel rather unpleasant and I began wishing for a bed and a good night's sleep.

"So Bain," Amina asked after finishing her proportionately large meal, "what are you going to do now that you've lost that kidnappers trail?" Huh? Oh, well I'm not so sure to be honest" I replied without really thinking, "I guess after a good night's sleep I'll figure something out, can't just give up so soon right? Amina didn't answer; she began fiddling with her brightly coloured hair and bit down on her lip as she started thinking long and hard about the situation I was in. "If you wanted to…..you could sleep in my bed tonight." Normally that would have raised the red flag in my head, but with my strength fading and a hangover fast approaching I wasn't going to say no to a comfy bed. "Sure," I said lazily, rising slowly from my seat, "sounds good."

Amina quickly jumped from her seat and looked at me with wide eyes and reddened cheeks. "Really?" she asked, loud enough to turn a few heads our way and to worsen my already pounding headache. "Ahhhhh, I moaned, holding my temple in a futile attempt to ease the pain, "yeah yeah that's fine I just want to go to sleep." For a moment Amina just stood there, staring at me with tears welling in her eyes, "Are you really ok with sharing a bed with me?" Once again I didn't seem to realize the situation I was getting myself into and just gave a shrug and said "Yeah that's fine, now can we get a move on? Like a boiling kettle Amina gave a squeal that almost split my brain in two and rushed to my side to hold me in another bone crushing embrace, except this time she aimed for stomach (I don't think they'll let us back in here anytime soon.)

After helping the now fuming mantis girl with the mess I made on the floor (never drinking alcohol again!) Amina paid her the gold coins for the meal and guided me by the hand out of the tavern and into the streets, humming a sweet tune as she eventually led me to a large mansion that, for some reason, looked to be made from edible materials. Before I could make a comment on the strange structure before us she lead me to the back yard which had a large, yet otherwise regular looking shed made from iron and steel. "Ummm why are you taking me here?" She turned towards me with a gentle smile on her face; making me feel uncomfortable again "this is where I live sweetie!" "Oh, ok then….lead on." There were no lights inside so I had to rely on Amina who seemed to know exactly where she was going and before I knew it we were standing in front of what looked like the outline of a large bed, placing a hand on the covers I was amazed at how soft and smooth it felt which only further drained my strength.

Instinctively I began removing my cloths, I didn't care if Amina was watching, I was tired and didn't like sleeping with my clothes on (they were filthy anyway.) With only my breaches remaining I laid down onto the mattress, the warmth, the comfort, it was indescribable! It took me a moment to realize Amina hadn't joined me yet (rather strange considering her enthusiasm earlier) looking up at her I could see she was slowly removing her cloths as well, even though I couldn't see her details I could tell she was quite nervous and seemed to be having second thoughts. "It's ok," I said softly, gently grasping her hand and pulling her towards the bed, "I'm not gonna let you sleep on the floor for my sake." Her hand was shaking, but she complied, resting herself down next to me as I rolled back to give her more room. We were now only inches away from one another, I could feel her breath on my face, despite her recent meal it still smelt fresh and sweet like strawberries, she was still holding my hand, but for some reason I didn't have the resolve to pull it away. With my last ounce of strength I whispered "Good night" and without waiting for a response, I fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.


	8. Amina's Diary:New Beginnings

Amina's diary: New Beginning's

 **The following texts were written by Amina during her time in Timber Town, the first few entries show obvious signs that Amina lacked literacy skills as her handwriting is messy and difficult to read.**

21st day of Summer's Fading

Dawn Era 744

Finally found this "Timber Town" the local fairies talk so much about! Still can't believe it took me this long to find the damn place (Moanwood is quite large when you think about it.)

I wasn't expecting it to be so heavily populated, but that's ok, that just means it'll be easier for me to find a husband. But I should probably find a spot to settle down first, though it won't be easy with no gold on me at the moment…..

23rd day of Summer's Fading

Dawn Era 744

I can't believe my luck! One of those wealthy old sods saw me sleeping in the dirt this morning and offered me cheap rent in her storage shack in the upper district!

Lady Ingrid liebevoll I think her name was, quite a nice old duck actually, had her butler dust off her old mattress sitting in the corner for me to sleep on and (I shit you not) She's even gonna provide me three meals every day!

4th day of Autumn's Dew

Dawn Era 244

Goodbye rabbit skin coat and hello pretty dresses! Lady Liebevoll wants me to become her Handmaid and now I get to wear some fancy clothes she wore when she was little! I wonder if she was pretty when she was my size.

Must have been a hundred years ago so who knows hahahaha…nah she's alright that lady, said she's giving me some special training to make me all fancy pansy like her! Who woulda thought I'd be part of "that" mob? Suppose I shouldn't winge, better than sleeping on a rag in an alleyway.

11th day of Autumn's Dew

Dawn Era 744

Fuck me this is stupid! That old hag's been trying to make me walk, talk, eat and even sit like her, SIT! Like as if I never sat down before in my fuckin life! She's whacked me so many times on the head with her cane I think I might have a concussion…

15th day of Autumn's Dew

Dawn Era 744

 **From here the following entries show gradual improvement of Amina's handwriting and grammar, though the odd doodle and smudge can still be found on a few of these pages.**

Well it's been almost a month now since I rocked up at Timber Town, first few days on the streets helped me meet a few of the local merchants and guardsmen who seem to be decent folk.

But ever since being taken in by Lady Liebevoll I've been stuck in her mansion learning how to be a fancy lady whilst looking after her at the same fu-frickin time! (Gotta learn to stop swearing)

Here's my daily schedule:

Get woken up very early in the morning to get dressed and have breakfast

Take the mistress's breakfast from the kitchen and deliver it to her room

After she's eaten I help her get dressed and accompany her to the living area

For the next five hours she instructs me in my lessons with the help of her butler (Eldir his name is, too old for my liking unfortunately)

She often has friends and relatives visit her during the afternoon for lunch and gossip, I stay by the mistress's side and fetch anything the guests require such as drinks or napkins

After all the guests leave I finally have my lunch and then assist the other staff with whatever cleaning is needed around the mansion

I have dinner with the mistress and afterwards I listen to her stories about her travels in many parts of the world when she was younger (actually earned all her wealth as it turns out)

I help the mistress undress and put her to bed before collapsing into my own after a long, yet strangely satisfying day

20th day of Autumn's Journey

Dawn Era 744

Weather's beginning to get really cold, feel a little sorry for the young and old who have to rough it out at night since they have nowhere to sleep, maybe the mistress can provide these people some help.

She already takes good care of me but I'm sure she can do something for these people, she kind of reminds me of my…mother…

8th day of Autumn's Chill

Dawn Era 744

After having a word with Lady Liebevoll and giving my shack a bit of a clean out I now have a dozen beggars sleeping on old bed sheets in whatever space they could find, don't mind sharing my place with them, gets colder with each passing day.

20th day of Autumn's Chill

Dawn Era 744

Things have been going well so far, during the day the beggars are on the streets asking for food or doing some work for meagre pay, when the sun goes down they all gather in my shack and huddle up to keep warm, their actually really nice people, plenty of singing and storytelling goes on through the night (though I'm usually too tired to join in.)

A few things have "disappeared" here and there but that's to be expected, there's a reason we keep this stuff in the shed after all, we just don't need it anymore.

15th day of Winter's Frost

Dawn Era 744

The days are getting colder and shorter; some of the older beggars are stricken with the chill and our cook (a succubus called Gamila) provides them with a bowl of hot soup everyday as they don't have the strength leave their beds, I hope they'll be ok.

1st day of Winter's Storm

Dawn Era 744

Snow started to fall a few days ago and just last night old lady Aswad passed away, from the looks of it many more will soon follow, even Lady liebevoll has fallen ill….I hope she'll be ok.

5th day of Winter's Storm

Dawn Era 744

Every day we lose someone to the cold, Lady Liebevoll insists on continuing my lessons despite her deteriorating health. Eldir is almost always by her side now, even when she sleeps he keeps a close eye on her to make she she's alright.

He's known her ever since she was a baby as it turns out; always saw her as a daughter. It's become apparent that he isn't human (at least not anymore.)

18th day of Winter's Storm

Dawn Era 744

It's so cold and dark now I feel as though the sun has abandoned us and we must now spend an eternity trapped in Darkness, wasting away as we slowly turn to stone.

Everyone huddles together around all few tin fires to keep warm at night, I can't ever recall such a harsh winter in all my life, I wouldn't have lasted long had I been living on the streets like I was back then, they say merciless winters are an omen of something bad…...very bad approaching in the future.

Lady Liebevoll has been asleep for a long time now; I hope she wakes up when this accursed winter ends.

23rd day of Winter's Storm

Dawn Era 744

 **The following entry has been written with a shaky hand and stained with what are likely tears.**

Rest now, forever in the land of Halal, Lady Ingrid liebevoll

May you're your voice be carried by the birds in the trees, when the sun awakens, and the rivers unfreeze.

Across the earth, the heavans, the mountains and seas, your soul will be carried on a peaceful breeze.

When the flowers go in bloom and hear of your doom, the fields will fall silent, in sorrow and gloom.

14th day of Winter's Twilight

Dawn Era 744

The clouds are beginning to retreat on the northern winds, following close behind is something I had never seen before. They call them "The Vaettir" Spirits of those who had perished during the winter, travelling on the icy winds to Halal (maybe Lady Liebevoll is up there right now.)

29th day of Winter's Twilight

Dawn Era 744

Eldir has finally emerged from his room, the death of his beloved Ingrid had hit him the hardest, he spent days mourning her death silently in his room. He hasn't eaten much and his overall appearance has become uncharacteristically dirty and unkempt.

He insists he will be fine and has many years left ahead of him; hopefully things can go back to normal when the climate improves.

7th day of Spring's Thaw

Dawn Era 744

The weathers finally improving, the ice is melting away and I can even hear a few songs birds whistling to one another on the odd occasion.

Some of the beggars have started to leave the shack and are now going it alone on the streets now that the nights aren't so cold. I'm going to miss having them around all the time, I've made so many new friends during that horrid winter and I have Eldir's word that should another ever occur in the future, they'll all be welcome to stay here again.

12th day of Spring's Thaw

Dawn Era 744

Lady Liebevoll's little sister "Kyria" arrived at the mansion today claiming to be its rightful heir as Lady Ingrid had no children to inherit it from her, Eldir didn't seem particularly happy about this arrangement, but has little power over her (he is just a butler after all.)

19th day of Spring's Thaw

Dawn Era 744

Lady Kyria has only been here for a week and I'm already starting to dislike her quite a bit. The exterior of the mansion now looks to be made out of candy (not edible by the way as I found that out the hard way) and has filled the rooms with so many bright colours I get migraines as soon as I step inside!

At least she doesn't boss me around so much, she has her own little dwarf maid to do most of the work for her and seems to see me as a squatter! Damned grouse! Eldir has assured me I can stay here as long as I like, though I can't help but feel guilty for having free rent and meals, perhaps now I should look for a husband and a new home.

30th day of Spring's Thaw

Dawn Era 744

So far no luck in the husband searching, most of them men I've approached already have their own wives looking after them, others don't seem to take "little girls" such as myself very seriously. I might have to make my intentions more clear in the future.

4th day of Spring's Blooming

Dawn Era 744

I made a few adjustments to one of my dresses the other day, I was hoping the men would notice my slender figure now that it hugs my body more tightly thanks to the ribbon's I added (makes it hard to breath though) and yet it only seems to have made things worse, now they see me as a whore! Damn Bastards…..stay calm Amina...deep breaths.

10th day of Spring's Blooming

Dawn Era 744

I can't give up now! Not after all the trouble I been through learning how to dress and act like a proper lady! But if my cute dresses won't work on these jerks then maybe something else will!

11th day of Spring's Blooming

Dawn Era 744

Note to self, Nudity in public is actually illegal and can result in a night in the slammer. Wish someone had told me that sooner…..

18th day of Spring's Blooming

Dawn Era 744

I decided to try a different approach today and was half successful, I put on a very frilly and brightly coloured dress and dolled up my faced until I looked like something you would find in a candy store. I was hoping to use my cuteness to attract a man as I had been told by Eldir that some men were into that sort of thing.

I did get the attention of a man, but he was way too old for me (and he looked at me very weirdly.)

29th day of Spring's Blooming

Dawn Era 744

Once again that annoying dwarf maid (don't even know her name since her mistress only calls her girl) put itching powder in my bed to pester me.

Just yesterday she put some in the dress I was going to wear in my search for a man which resulted in me putting on a very amusing show for the passing residents.

I don't have time to play such foolish games with her, I need to find a husband and soon.

12th day of Spring's Retreat

Dawn Era 744

Lady Kyria has gotten tired of my "mooching" and now has me working in the kitchens for Gamila as a kitchen hand.

I don't mind spending my days with Gamila (she gives me special attention during lunch breaks) but now I'm going to have less time to look for a husband, maybe Gamila can help me out a bit…..

15th day of Spring's Retreat

Dawn Era 744

Finally got a few days off to do some man hunting, Gamila told me that I need to be more assertive and open about what I want with any man I meet.

I need to combine my cute looks with an innocent, but confident façade that will "melt their hearts" and persistently pursue the man of choice to make my intentions clear.

20th day of Spring's Retreat

Dawn Era 744

 **Below the following entry is a crude sketch of a Golem with a rather bland look on her face, it's head is covered in what looks like bird droppings and an arrow can be seen sticking out of its backside.**

Well, spring is beginning to end, the birds have stopped singing and most of the flowers have withered and died.

I'm back in the kitchen with Gamila for a few days now and won't be able to continue my search for some time.

My earlier attempts to find a husband didn't go so well, my cute but persistent approach scared quite a few men away and now some of the guards are keeping an eye on me as I'm now "disturbing the peace" which is illegal as it turns out.

1st day of Summer's Rising

Dawn Era 745

It's a new year, a new day, and a new Amina. It took a while but I spent most of my free time combining my two most beautiful dresses in my collection and have created something beautiful!

I've been working on my sweet talking with some help from Gamila and now I'm ready for anything!

13th day of Summer's rising

Dawn Era 745

The local Baker's son Gallus seems to be taking notice of me lately, he looks at me quite a lot whenever I walk past and smiles every time I greet him.

Could this be it? Have I found one? A husband? Calm yourself Amina. I need to be careful not to scare this one away. He seems a little shy around me and struggles to say anything sometimes (I need to find a way to help boost his confidence a little.)

17th day of Summer's Rising

Dawn Era 745

I have found the answer to my problems! A passing merchant gave me a bottle of what's known as "Fu Pech," it's supposed to magnify a man's desires should he drink even a drop of the stuff.

With this I can give Gallus the push he needs to break the ice and we can move on to something more intimate! Well worth the gold I spent on it (which was a lot by the way.)

18th day of Summer's Rising

Dawn Era 745

 **The following entry has been scrawled so roughly the page has ripped in a few places.**

That damn bastard! He never loved me! He was after that damn skank Verra running the flower stall nearby!

Soon as he took one sip from the wine I gave him (with the Fu Pech mixed in) he ran straight over to her and sang out his confession like a love sick puppy!

Well now those two are spending the night together and I'm here on my bed with nothing but a fucking diary to talk to!

19th day of Summer's Rising

Dawn Era 745

I'm so sorry my dear for the way I treated you yesterday, I was angry and took all my frustration out on you and it wasn't lady like of me to do so.

I was stupid and decided to use the whole bottle in one go which is probably why he was so worked up yesterday, everyone in Timber Town probably heard the ruckus they made last night when they "celebrated" their engagement.

2nd day of Summer's Scorching

Dawn Era 745

Lady Kyria plans to travel to her nephew's mansion in the south in a few days' time. She'll be staying there for a month or so, which means I won't have to spend so much time in the kitchen and can get back to husband hunting, too bad her stupid hand maid has to stay behind (still don't know her name.)

16th day of Summer's Scorching

Dawn Era 745

Ok, this is just getting depressing now. Even with the mistress bitch gone I still can't get any of the men keen. I know I'm not "well endowed" like the other bitches here but I would've thought at least one of these blokes would take an interest in me.

21st day of Summer's Scorching

Dawn Era 745

That creepy old street cleaner tried chatting me up again this morning (he does this quite a lot) and even tried making advances on me, but old gobs like him only have another ten years let in them and I'm not going to reduce myself to such a desperate level….I hope.

4th day of Summer's Fading

Dawn Era 745

 **The latest entry has been written with a shaky hand, love hearts and the word "Bain" have been scribbled repeatedly all over the following pages.**

There's a boy in my bed….there's a boy in my bed…..there's a fucking boy in my bed! I'm serious there is a boy sleeping in my bed right now! I saw him in the streets just yesterday trying to clean himself up a bit and figured he might be looking for a lover just like I was!

Turns out he wasn't and I ended up with a nasty bonk on my head and he just ran off! Chased him down (in my underwear to catch him mind you) and when I thought I was going to thrash him I ended crying my eyes right in front of him like a little baby.

Kid felt sorry for me and decided to come with me to the Devil's kitchen for a meal. Didn't quite go so well but being around the guy was actually kind of fun (in a weird way) and when I asked him to stay with me for the night he was into it! Couldn't sleep last night mind you….. he looks really cute when he sleeps…focus!

His names Bain by the way, turning fourteen and looks like he's had it rough recently. Said his little brother got taken by a monster girl and now he's looking for him (pretty sweet of him actually.)Have no clue how he's going to find him when he clearly knows very little about the real world.

This could be my one and only chance, if I help him find his brother (or at least help him look around) I might be able to slowly win him over with my charms….a husband…..eeeeeeh!


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Blind Side

Sunlight pouring from a nearby window awoke me from my rather peaceful slumber as I slowly pulled myself up into a sitting position, staring blankly at a large mirror on the opposite end of the room as I slowly regained awareness. It took a while for me to remember the event's that had transpired yesterday, which is fair enough considering what I drank last night, the first thing that came to mind was why I agreed to spend the night with a…..goblin girl! The realization of what I had done struck me like a bolt of lightning as I slowly turned my gaze to the left side of the bed; Amina was already awake, she was just sitting there, hugging her pillow tightly in her arms and staring at me with a look of excitement and…..fear?

"….um…good morning" She offered weakly, her face turning bright red now that I was staring right back at her. "….yeah….morning" Was the only thing I could respond with. Looking down I soon realized I was semi naked, I quickly returned my attention to Amina and it appeared as though she wasn't wearing much herself! The situation was bad, I was beginning to freak out, and Amina's staring was not helping at all! Fortunately Amina took action first and quickly jumped off the bed, covering herself with her pillow in a failed attempt to hide both her rose coloured under garments and face which was now a similar shade of red (she had no problems being in her underwear yesterday.) "Ok, I'm going to get changed over there, you wait here and I'll find you some clean cloths, ok?" Without even waiting for a response Amina quickly scurried away to another part of the shack where she was now out of sight, though not out of mind.

Looking around I realized that the shed was huge; you could actually fit the farm house inside twice over and still have some room to spare! Along the walls were racks and shelves containing all sorts of bit and pieces such as candles, teacups, cutlery and tools as an example. Further inwards were crates and chests filled with goodness knows what, many of them looked to have been here for well over a decade judging from the dust covering most of them and no doubt originated from all corners of the known world. One appeared to have been made from deep sea coral, indicating it likely came from the Sunken City, another had an exotic emblem etched into the lock which I had never seen before, though I did recognize the metal it's made from. "Obsidian" I whispered to myself excitedly, such materials are very rare to come by and the lock itself would likely be worth thousands of gold coins on its own (wonder how much the contents worth.)

Looking further down to the other end of the shack I noticed that some boxes and shelves had recently been pushed away to make room for what appeared to have been living space for a large host of people as there were still some old bed rolls and fire drums spread across the floor in an unorganized manor. "Is Amina a squatter?" I asked myself out loud, "But why is her side of the shack so clean and fancy?" I was beginning to think that Amina was not at all what she seemed; her lovely cloths and lady like composure could just have been a false show of éclat in order to get herself a male.

I had to hand it to Amina, she did a bloody good job luring me into a tavern and getting me drunk so she can could tempt me with her bed. Though it did seem strange that she would go through all this trouble when she could just have dragged me away like other goblins do, she wouldn't have had any trouble overpowering me from the very beginning and I'm pretty sure most goblins hunt in packs to increase their success rate.I suppose towns like this would still have laws in place to prevent guys like me from getting gang raped on the streets at any given moment (trading and tourism would suffer as a result.)

I was beginning to consider making a run for the door when Amina quickly reappeared wearing….a hair net? Not only that but she was now covered appropriately in a simple clay coloured dress made from wool and over her front was a white apron stained in too many colours to count. Amina's face turned red again though this time her expression seemed rather annoyed. "What?" She huffed, "Never seen a lady in an apron before?" "Ah, umm no sorry!" I stammered apologetically, desperately looking for a conversation changer, "Are those cloths for me?" Amina's mood quickly brightened as she handed me the contents of her arms. The shirt and leggings were made from the same materials as Amina's only they seemed to be a tad wrinkled and it took a little shaking to remove the dust that had gathered in a few places. A pair of leather flip flops was the only thing I could wear over my feet as my old leather shoes seemed to have reached the end of their days (it's a miracle they lasted this long to be honest) and now the scratch over my left eye was starting to throb painfully under an eyepatch that was slowly coming apart.

After buttoning up my shirt I turned back to Amina and jumped back in fright when I realized she was observing my injury a lot more closely than I would have liked. "Relax!" she drawled, pulling me back towards her with her freakishly great strength, she didn't need to pull off the eyepatch to see things were bad and it was clear that she didn't want to judging from the rather repulsed expression on her face (it did smell rather badly.) "C'mon, I'll take into the main building and Sana can have a look at it."

It didn't take us long to navigate our way out of the shack now that we could both see where we were going. Amina quickly made her way towards the back door of the estate with me dragging my feet behind her. I'll be honest with you; I had to rub my good eye to see if what I was seeing was actually real. Last night I was too tired and sick to take much notice, but now that the sun was out and I felt more like my old self it was quite strange seeing what looked like a massive cake covered in icing and cream. The construction workers appeared to have put a thick layer of what was likely clay over the entire structure, then added another layer but finishing higher off the ground then continuously adding more in a similar manor until there were ten layers all together, each painted different shades of white and pink which shone brightly in the sunlight thanks to what appeared to have been a powerful coat of gloss.

As Amina approached the door and began to knock, I noticed something nearby that made me chuckle, there were teeth marks on the wall half hidden behind a rose bush, and from the size of them I'd say they belonged to a particular goblin girl. "Something funny sweaty?" Amina asked me, but the ridiculously innocent look on her face only reignited the chuckling and before I knew it I was laughing uncontrollably in front of a now baffled Amina. It must have been quite a strange sight for the old man opening the door, there I was , on the ground laughing like a lunatic, Amina was holding me by the collar demanding answers like a school ground bully but that only made things worse as I redoubled my laughter.

It wasn't until I was wheezing for air did we look up to see the household's personal butler, staring down at us rather blankly without any show of emotion whatsoever. Overall he was quite tall and skinny; he had a pale but unblemished completion on a somewhat sagging face and not a single hair could be found on his round head. His clothing was what you would expect of a butler, though I couldn't help but notice his bow tie was a bright shade of pink. Fortunately I had enough laughing for the day and quickly stood up with Amina and faced him with restored composure (rather difficult when you're still gasping for air.)

"I see you have made a new friend, Miss Amina." The old butler greeted with a surprisingly strong voice. "Hi Eldir! This is Bain!" She responded excitedly as I stepped forward to shake his hand. "Very nice to meet you Eldir, I hope I'm not intruding in any way." "Oh but of course not my boy, it's wonderful to see Amina has finally found a hus-" Amina quickly stepped forward and cleared her throat loudly before he could finish, though in all honesty I already knew what her intentions were from the very beginning. "Bain was injured a few days ago and has had quite a rough time lately, would it be ok if we had Sana fix him up a bit?" Eldir turned his attention to my eyepatch and gave a nod. "I think that can be arranged, but don't forget your duties in the kitchen young lady." Amina simply responded with a nod and Eldir slowly walked back into the mansion with the two of us following closely behind.

 **I would just like to say thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read the first few chapters I've put together for my very first fan fiction. I hope you are enjoying yourselves and I'll try to keep thing's as interesting as possible as the story progresses, but please let me know if there is anything you think might need any improvements as I'll welcome any feedback you guys have to offer.**


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Well, Look at You!

I'll be honest with you; I wasn't entirely sure what a mansion like this was supposed to look like on the inside, when you spend your entire life at a farm reading a few books on architecture you tend to become a little ignorant and naïve about such things. This place however was an exception, no sooner did I enter the hallway I quickly covered my eyes with a loud groan as the ridiculously bright colours hit my head like a frying pan!

Every single colour you could imagine was splashed, yes, splashed all over the walls in a horrible mess. The ceiling was a bright shade of blue with the archways carved and painted into what looked like clouds that shone with a glossy finish. The only thing that didn't burn my eyes were they tiles, which for some reason looked like tombstones with strange symbols etched into each one. Along the walls were brightly lit candles, the reason I couldn't open my eye was because the light of these flames made the colours shine and flicker in a way that made my head spin and my legs shake (what kind of place is this!?)

I really wanted to turn around and get the hell out of this horrible place, but Amina quickly grabbed my hand like my little sister used to and guided me across the hall, seemingly unaffected by the disgusting light show. "Sorry about this sweetie," came Amina's voice "None of us like the choice of décor either." Next came Eldir's calm, monotone voice; "There are a few places in the mansion that haven't met the same fate young sir, the mess hall is one of them and is our current destination." "Thank goodness" I responded with a weak chuckle added in a failed attempt to hide my anxiety.

Eventually we came to a sudden stop, ahead of me came the sound of a door opening and we entered the next room. Amina let go of my hand and gently puled the other off my face, opening my eye I gave a sigh of relief. The mess hall was quite cosy, a large rectangular table sat in the centre of the room with a dozen chairs surrounding it. Everything was made out bare timber and steel with a few dusty old portraits hanging on the walls, a few candles here and there were the only source of light but overall it was a huge improvement.

Amina sat me down at the table with Eldir taking a seat next to me, without another word she disappeared through another door behind me that looked to be made of steel (the kitchen no doubt.) "While Amina is making your breakfast, would you mind taking your eyepatch off so I may see the damage for myself?" "Sure, no problem." Removing (what's left of) my eyepatch, Eldir leaned forward to assess the damage, the calm expression on his face made it hard to guess what he was thinking, eventually he leaned back again and gave me his rather blunt opinion; "Your beginning to get an infection, Sana should have no problem treating it but it's unlikely your eye can be saved."

I heard the door behind me open rather abruptly, followed by the sounds of fast footsteps heading my way, but I was so shocked by the recent announcement I didn't react in time and soon found myself in the embrace of someone very big and very…. soft. The very touch of this woman's body was enough to make every muscle in my body come alive with sensations I never felt before, the heat of her body made me feel safe and yet energized at the same time, I wanted her let go of me but at the same time I didn't!

"Oh my gosh Amina you have a boyfriend now! I'm so proud of you!" That was it, I just lost it. Her voice…it broke me. Tears flew uncontrollably out of my eyes, mixing with the sweat that was now covering my entire body, my breathing started to get heavy and I could no longer think straight, I just wanted to touch her wonderful body and be touched in return! Fortunately, Amina's yelling brought me back (to some extent) to reality.

"Gamila! Get your bags of fat off him!" Eldir quickly chimed in, "I think you should do as she says Gamila, you seem to have unsettled our guest." The woman called Gamila reluctantly released me and I soon found myself feeling much better (despite being covered in my own fluids and shaking like a maraca,) "Sorry about that sweetie, got a little carried away is all." I slowly turned myself around to face my attacker, only to fall off my chair in fright when I saw that her face was only inches from mine.

Eldir pulled me back onto my feet as Gamila fell to the ground, laughing hysterically at her rather rude joke, stopping when she saw Amina standing over her with a rather dangerous look on her face. "Ok, ok I'll stop….for now anyways." That last comment made me feel rather nervous, but with Gamila now standing in front of me (out of reach) I could get a proper look at her; Her devilish horns, wings and tail made it quite clear that she was a Succubus, one of the most perverted and sexually built creatures in the known world. Purple hair could be seen through her transparent hairnet, flawless skin on a heart shaped face with pointed ears on each end. She had beautiful amber coloured eyes and a smile that looked gentle yet also predatory, but what startled me most was her figure, it looked (and felt) amazing even though she was completely covered in the appropriate kitchen wear. Had she been wearing something more revealing…, I'd rather not think about it!

After I nervously exchanged greetings with Gamila, Eldir was kind enough to help me wipe the sweat from my face before excusing himself from the room. Amina and I sat down at the table as Gamila headed back into the kitchen, returning quickly with a plate of fried eggs and bacon for the two of us to munch on, but rather than returning to her kitchen duties, Gamila decided to sit next to me as we ate, much to my discomfort (and Amina's annoyance.)

Don't get we wrong, the food tasted amazing! But Gamila kept hassling me with questions on how we met (didn't really want to talk about it,) how our first date went (or that either,) and what we got up to in the bedroom last night (fortunately, nothing.) All the while Gamila would make some "subtle" hints that she wanted a man for herself and perhaps she could share a particular boy with a particular Goblin, such hints of course got the Goblin's attention and the way she puffed out her cheeks was quite amusing for both of us.

By the time Eldir returned to the mess hall he was once again greeted with a peculiar sight. Gamila was running around the table laughing with a very angry Amina following close behind, her face now a deep shade of red. I was just sitting there like a good little boy, my hands over my ears and a rather annoyed expression on my face. Gamila thought it would be a good idea (in an educational sense) to tell me some rather graphic stories about what the two of them got up to when no one was looking, it wasn't.

All Eldir had to do was clear his throat and the little side show quickly ended. "If you are done, I would like to take young master Bain to the medical wing, the two of you can start preparing breakfast for the remaining staff members." I didn't have to be asked twice, I sped out of that room after Eldir before those two she devils could even blink. Fortunately, the corridor leading to the medical wing was spared the monstrous paint job that did my head in earlier, and it didn't take us long to reach our destination.

It was strange, one half was like an indoor garden filled with many different flowers and herbs, tools and dirt sprayed all over the ground in a very untidy manor. The other half however had a bed with a curtain for decency, a stool sat in a corner and a desk covered with medical tools was also there, everything on that side looked clean and orderly. Standing next to the bed was a Weresheep, who I had guessed correctly was Sana, she was only a little taller than me and her gentle smile made me feel safe, it reminded me of Gaia's (the Grizzly from yesterday.)

Without a word Sana gestured to the bed and I slowly laid myself down as she walked over to her little garden, mixing together the required ingredients for what was likely to be painkillers (at least that's what I'm hoping.) She returned shortly after with a small mortar and spoon, digging out the mossy green contents she presented it to me and in a very cute voice she sang "ahhhh." Holding back a laugh I opened my mouth and quickly swallowed the rather bitter concoction. The effects were almost instantaneous, my mind started to empty of all thoughts, all worries and concerns leaving me as slumped back down onto the bed and fell into a peaceful sleep.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: A Painful Premonition

It was dark, I couldn't see anything around me except a strange hue of red that seemed to glow beneath my floating form. Wait, am I really floating? No. I could feel a gentle updraft and the unmistakable sensation of gravity pulling me down, I was falling…no, drifting down, slowly and gently like a leaf on a breezeless day.

Then, coincidently, leaves began to appear in so many different shapes and colours, rising slowly into the air everywhere I looked. Many of them headed straight towards me, but no sooner did I touch one it just shattered into dust, sparkling like stars on a cloudless night.

And, once again, my thoughts becoming reality as I found the skies above me filled with billions of beautiful little stars, a sight so spectacular, so beautiful, tears fell from my eyes and floated after the leaves to the heavens above. I didn't know where I was or how I got here, and yet this place felt strangely familiar, even though it defied all reason, all logic, It just felt right.

But then something broke my attention away from the light show. A voice? Yes, a girl's voice that was gentle and pure. She was humming a strange tune I had never heard before, it echoed all around me, pulsing through my body like our souls were connected or something. But after a few moments went by the humming suddenly stopped, and she began to sing.

"Sad little Robin, why do you cry?"

"Your time will come, to soar in the sky"

"Lonely little Robin, why can't you fly?"

"Tell me little Robin, why oh why?"

"When the leaves start to fall, and the sun begins to stall"

"An injured little Dove, will hear your call"

"He will sit by your side, beneath his wing you will hide"

"Happiness and Love, within you will find"

As she sang her first few lines I looked around and realized something was happening. The leaves started turning white, their forms fading somewhat, then rematerializing into beautiful snowflakes that danced in the updraft which now had a winter chill to it. The stars still shone brightly above me, but they become overshadowed by the northern lights that suddenly appeared, slowly floating through the skies so close it was though I could almost touch them. Below me the ground seemed to be a little closer now, still glowing a strange shade of red.

"Clever little Robin, now has a plan"

"Find the stolen brother, win the white doves hand"

"Go little Robin, move while you can"

"Soon the little dove, will grow into a man"

"But beware of your foes, their power now grows"

"The ones you most fear, the wretched black crows"

"Keep him out of sight, try all you might"

"But someday the pure dove will be forced into the fight"

With those words another transformation occurred, but this one was different, very different. The skies turned black with storm clouds, thunder and lightning clashed all around me with blinding flashes and deafening bangs. The once beautiful snowflakes began to turn grey, falling apart and then forming into balls of stone that suddenly burst into flames, shooting into the air like fireworks, a horrible screaming sound could be heard as they flew past me.

The air was now dry and stale, burning my lungs with each breath as I started to splutter and cough violently. I closed my eyes for fear of what awaited below, I didn't want to be here anymore, I wanted this to end. Despite everything the girl continued to sing, but her voice was now filled with pain and sorrow, a few words drowned by sobs that she was trying so hard so force back as I began to fall faster and faster towards my destination.

"Brave little Robin, danger is in store"

"Face the mighty eagle, and the monsters roar"

"Poor little Robin, life just isn't fair"

"because of your greed, the Dove will cease to care"

"When the first arrow flies, the mighty monster dies"

"celebrate its death, with great cheers and cries"

"But the seconds not so kind, the Robin's heart it finds"

"With tears in her eyes, the Robin is left behind"

With a might bang I hit what must have been a massive lake of fire and lava, the flames burned my flesh with a pain I couldn't even begin to describe, as I squirmed and spasmed in the inferno I could hear the girl's screams as they pulsed violently through my body.

"WHY?WHY?WHY?"

Everything went dark and cold. The girl's final words were just a whisper, but they pierced my heart like a cold blade.

"Why oh why must you….die?"


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: To Shorten the Road

I finally snapped back into reality and quickly shot up into a sitting position, shaking violently from head to toe, soaked in cold sweat. I remember nothing, I tried racking my brain for answers, all I found was one word screaming over and over again in my head "WHY?"

Fortunately, I wasn't alone. Sana was on the stool next to my bed, wiping my face with a wet towel, looking very relieved to see me awake. "Thank goodness you're alright, how do you feel?" I wanted to respond, but all I could do was sit there muttering to myself "Why….why….why?"

Placing a gentle hand onto my shoulder, Sana looked me over as I slowly regained some of my composure, waiting patiently until I finished my rambling before speaking. "You had us quite worried there dear, I thought you were having a bad reaction to the drugs I gave you."

"What happened to me?" I asked in a sickly voice. "The operation was a success dear," Sana responded with a smile, but then her expression turned rather sombre "But when we waited for you to awaken, you didn't." It took me a moment to understand what she meant. "You mean it took longer for me to recover from the drugs effects?" "You've been asleep for over forty-eight hours."

That scared me, a lot. I remember reading from a book on herbal medicines that if a patient was kept under for too long…..well, things can get very bad. Looking more closely at Sana I realized something was wrong, there were bags under her eyes which were now pink and puffy, her lovely white hair which she had kept very nicely brushed earlier was now messy and unkept. I could tell just looking at her she hasn't slept at all during the entire ordeal.

"I'm so sorry Sana." Was all I could think to say to her, she was kind enough to fix me up and I caused her so much trouble in the end (way to go Bain.) The apology brought a lovely smile to Sana's face, and she responded by pulling me into a very, very gentle embrace. "It's fine little one," she cooed softly to me "I'm just happy see you're ok, and I'm sure everyone will be happy to see you as well."

The wink she gave me afterwards quickly reminded me that I was inside a building full of monster girls (best keep the clippers away from this one if you know what I mean,) and at least two of them have taken a liking to me. Sana handed me a small mirror to look at her handy work before excusing herself from the room.

It was quite eerie looking at the empty socket that once held my left eye ball, wandering around in public without an eyepatch would no doubt draw attention my way, which is something I would like to avoid. "At least now I won't have to worry about an infection." I muttered to myself, though now that one of my eyes is missing it may cause me some problems later in my….journey.

Once again, I found myself questioning my decision to leave the safety of my home, running around in a forest and now a town infested with sex hungry monster girls. I've gotten this far thanks to pure luck, sure I made a few good (and plenty of bad) decisions but in the end, I was just plain lucky. And what was that dream I had when I was asleep? Seriously, I don't remember a fracking thing! Every time I think hard about it I hear a girl screaming in my head "Why?Why?Why?"

With each passing second, I could feel my confidence fading, my motivation to find Sherwin and bring him home leaving my heart. Fortunately, the sudden arrival from a very happy Goblin snapped me out of my brooding. "Bain! Your-ouch!" Amina was knocked aside by Gamila, who didn't waste any time to pull me into yet another one of her….unique hugs. "Oh my gosh Bain you scared us all half to death!" She cried out, at least I think she did (cleavage.)

"how many times do I have to tell you to get off him you over stuffed hussy!" Came what I assumed was Amina's voice. With a small moan (of disappointment,) Gamila released me so Amina could have a turn hugging the creepy one-eyed teenager that was once again soaked in sweat thanks to a particular Succubus.

Tears poured from Amina's eyes as she wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head upon my chest. I didn't feel particularly comfortable being hugged by Amina like this, but it was strangely touching to know that she was this happy to see me again.…and she felt warm….very warm.

Next to enter the room was Eldir, his expression seemingly brighter than I remembered. He was about to speak when another monster girl appeared, except this one didn't seem particularly happy to see me. She was a dwarf, I could tell based on the fact that she was even shorter than Amina, and her purple hair was standing ridiculously high in the air despite having such a small head (still cute though.)

At first, she didn't say anything, she just strode over towards us like she ran the place, placing her tiny hands onto her hips and gave me a rather unwelcoming glare. It took a few moments before the girl finally decided to speak. And to warn you in advance, it was fracking adorable.

"Well, well….well" she began, clearly trying to sound scary (even though she had the voice of a four-year-old.) "What do we have here?" Amina didn't seem particularly happy to the strange girl however, and responded with "Buzz of Girl! I'm busy!"

The dwarf's face turned bright red as she took a deep breath in order to hold her temper. "You appear to have dragged a boy from the streets into Lady Kyria's home, she specifically told all of us not to bring men anywhere near her property while she was away."

Releasing me from her embrace, Amina sat down onto my lap, looking down upon the Dwarf with a smug expression on her face. "Well Lady Kyria isn't here! And what Lady Kyria doesn't know won't hurt!" She pointed a finger towards the door in a dominant fashion and shouted proudly "So get out!"

Well, things escalated pretty quickly after that, Girl (screw it, just going to call her that from now on) jumped onto the bed and Amina did the same. Both girls were now right in each other's faces, growling like dogs fighting over some food. "You have no right to speak to me like that you filthy degenerate!" Girl shouted. "I can speak to you however I like small fry!" Amina shouted back.

"I'm only a little shorter than you so don't get full of yourself!" Girl shrieked ferociously. I was just about ready to get up and leave the room when Amina decided to say "Go munch on some red mushrooms! Maybe they'll make you tall enough to kiss my ass!" That was all Girl could take, she lunged at Amina like a mad beast. But Amina dodged the attack and I ended up on the ground with Girl lying half dazed on my chest.

It was Amina's turn to flip out. "GET OFF MY MAN YOU SLUT!" Eldir quickly pulled me out of the room as Gamila tried and failed to calm the two down. Both girls were now throwing punches and each other around the place like professional judo fighters, screaming and cursing loudly as the whole room shook from the damage they were causing. Despite their small size they could have destroyed the entire building.

It was fortunate that Sana quickly appeared with what appeared to be a vial of yellow powder, wrapping a cloth over her face she threw some of it at the small combatants and within seconds they were both on the ground, sleeping peacefully amongst the wreckage they created. And yet, despite everything, they only seemed to have a few bruises in the end (my bones would have been shattered from a fight like that!)

Sana quickly began cleaning up the mess in the infirmary whilst Gamila took the two girls away to rest, Eldir led me into the mess hall and once again took a seat next to me at the table as I nibbled on some bacon Gamila had prepared for me (in case I woke up.) "Two hundred years and you'd think I would be able to keep the staff members under control after all this time."

The very idea of this man being so old made me choke a little on my food. He didn't look half bad for his age! But I have heard of some methods known to give humans such long life spans, magic and mermaids blood to name a few. "Honestly, I don't think anyone could keep these women in line, no matter how many centuries they lived."

I didn't really mean it as a joke, but Eldir found it quite amusing and surprised me with a warm smile. "You might be right about that, how do feel young man?" "I'm alright I suppose," I responded with slight hesitation, "A little unsteady on my feet but that should pass soon enough."

Eldir didn't seem too convinced and frowned a little. "You gave us all quite the scare, you started muttering in your sleep after the operation, Sana tried giving you some stimulant but you appeared to have been in some comatose state." I hung my head with a strange sense of regret. "Sana looked after me the entire time, I was just a burden to her and everyone here."

Eldir placed a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry young master, everyone here was happy to assist you….Girl being the exception." "Does she even have a name?" I asked with my head tilted slightly. "Even I don't know her real name, she and the Lady Kyria are quite the odd ones if I'm completely honest with you."

"I assume you served the original owners of this house then?" Eldir's mood seemed have saddened with that question and I quickly corrected myself. "Sorry, I shouldn't ask about such things." Eldir relaxed in his chair a little and responded calmly "It's fine young master, thinking about Lady Liebevoll tends to bring back painful memories.

I didn't really know who this woman was, but she and Eldir were clearly very close to one another when she was still alive and I decided not to push the subject any further. As it turns out Amina had told everyone (except for girl) about my predicament, and Eldir could tell just by looking at me that I had no money, no equipment and most importantly, no clue what I was doing.

I didn't like to admit I but I was going to need help if I was going to find my brother (without being taken myself.) "I asked the guards yesterday if they saw anyone matching the suspect's description." "Did anyone see her?" I asked with excitement in my voice. "Indeed, she passed straight through the northern gate and took the road that leads up to the wastelands of Vastum.

That's not what I wanted to hear, of all the directions she could have gone she decided to travel to the barren, uncivilised northern province Of Vastum. Even before I would reach such an unforgiving place I would have to spend at least three weeks on the road in the northern half of Moanwood (it's a big forest as you can now tell.)

"If I head up that road I may be able to find her trail again and follow it." Eldir gave an approving nod. "Considering your ability to track your quarry through the trees like you have already is impressive, but the further north you travel, the more dangerous the monster girls tend to be." I didn't like the thought of dealing with any more monster girls, Amina was more than capable of catching me even though I did everything I could to evade her (imagine coming across a less forgiving individual.)

Eldir slowly rose from his chair and made his way to the door, gesturing me to follow. Once again, I had to force my way through the monstrously coloured hallway without losing my recently consumed breakfast. "In any case, we've decided to lend you a hand by providing you with some provisions, and a companion." Eldir announced as he led me to the back door.

And sure enough, sitting neatly by the entranceway were several sets of travel garments that looked recently made (and a little expensive.) The grey trousers and shirt fitted me perfectly, the green cloak that hung down to my ankles hugged my body nicely and the fur boots felt like luxury for my feet. There was also a goat skin back pack which contained some biscuits called cram, a bottle of water, a few knives, flint to start fires and even some rope about five metres long all together. There was even a satchel that contained Basil, Lavender and many other herbs that would help me in a pinch.

But the thing that I wanted most, was handed to me by Eldir himself. An eyepatch. Three straps held the sturdy patch of leather over my empty socket rather comfortably. Placing a hand over my face, I could tell some of the scratch marks would still be visible, but it brought a lot of relief to my heart knowing I won't have to march around looking like a dangerous lunatic (or would that actually be a good thing?)

"Is it really ok for me to take all this?" I asked Eldir, the old man just gave a nod and handed me my bow and quiver, now full brand-new arrows, "Were happy to help young master, though it may be wise to leave before Girl wakes up and has a Golem arrest you." I didn't want to go to jail, would have been nice to say farewell and thankyou to everyone, but then I realized that might not be a very good idea for multiple reasons (Gamila being one of them.)

Throwing the pack over my shoulders and strapping the satchel to my waist, I was about to take my first step when I suddenly realized something and turned back towards Eldir. "Didn't you say earlier I was going to have a companion?" Eldir scratched his neck uncomfortably. "….Indeed I did." "….So, who is it?"

The door behind Eldir suddenly swung open and out hopped Amina, a few band aids covering her cuts and bruises. I wouldn't have minded seeing her one more time (she did help me after all) but then the air escaped my lungs when I realized she was wearing a similar outfit, only it was dyed in various shades of lavender and pink.

Strapped to her shoulders was a back pack a little larger than my own and attached to the side of it was an iron mace (note to self, don't piss of Amina.) I could see it in her eyes, an inferno that screamed confidence and determination. She was going with me whether I liked it or not.

For a moment, we were just standing there, staring at each other, until Amina got uncomfortable and turned her gaze to Eldir. "Well, thanks for everything Eldir, I'll do my best to find Bain's brother," Tears began to form in her eyes as she continued, "take care of everyone like you always have and I'll try to visit whenever I get the chance."

Eldir extended a hand but Amina didn't take it, instead she walked up to him and gave the old butler a heart-warming hug. Eldir looked surprised for a moment, but then smiled and placed a hand on the goblins head. "Vale Amina, I hope you find happiness in your travels."

I would've found the whole thing quite lovely and everything, but I was still in shock over the unexpected turn of events. "….What?" Amina quickly released Eldir and grabbed a hold of my hand before things could get any more emotional.

"C'mon Bain! Let's find your brother!" She shouted excitedly, dragging me along the ground with a spring in her step (as I was no longer able to feel my legs.) "…What?" Eldir called out a final farewell to me as we were about to disappear around the corner of the mansion. "Farewell young master Bain! And good luck!"

"…WHAT!?"


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Bring Me Some Soup

It was a beautiful day. The afternoon sun was shining brightly above, a few streaks of light breaking through the branches and leaves gave the place a heavenly glow. The birds were singing merrily in the trees. A gentle breeze was caressing my face. Best of all, not a single monster girl in sight….except for that one.

Amina the Goblin was a leading the way as we travelled up the road that would (hopefully) lead us to my little brother, Sherwin. Amina was humming happily to herself, her footsteps so light and graceful it was like she was walking on clouds. Every once in a while, she would turn back and grace me with a loving smile, overflowing with happiness and joy.

Such an expression was too much for me to handle, and I would respond by looking at the ground, my cheeks turning red and a crooked smile appearing on my face. Amina would simply giggle and return her attention the path ahead.

I wasn't too thrilled with the travelling arrangements. Don't get me wrong, she was a lot of help back in Timber Town. Things just happened too quickly. I suppose when I think about it, I could have worse companions (Gamila in particular.)

Eventually we decided to stop at a small clearing next to the road for some lunch. Amina found some mushrooms and a wild onion nearby and after starting a fire she boiled them in a pot, Anthos and was added to the soup and we spent the next ten minutes enjoying our meal in peace. After that however, things started to get a little hectic.

The spoon was only inches from my mouth when I suddenly froze in place. Something small had landed on the top of my head, something alive. I closed my eyes as the unexpected visitor started to crawl down my forehead until it was clinging to my face.

What do I do? Amina clearly hasn't seen it yet because I could still hear her slurping up her food. Do I scream and scare it off? (Probably a bad idea.) Do I grab it before it tries anything funny? (It might bite my fingers!) My strategizing was quickly interrupted when I heard the unexpected sound of slurping coming from the creature on my face and I opened my eyes.

"….a peach?" Amina heard me and looked my way, only to jump back in fright when she realized what was happening. Sadly, I was having trouble piecing together why a peach was sitting on my nose and making weird slurping sounds. A tiny, red cheeked face suddenly appeared and said in a sweet voice "Hello!" and I quickly I realized what I was staring at. I didn't waste any time pulling the fairy off my face, but she didn't seem to like this and started banging her tiny little fists on my wrist.

"Hey! I was still eating!" I couldn't help but smile at how cute the little fairy looked right now. Amina just stared, gobsmacked at the little intruder who quickly stopped her feeble attack and folded up her arms, puffed her cheeks out and started forcing tears out her hazel colour eyes. "Meanie!"

"If you wanted some soup you should've asked first." I responded gently, I knew she didn't mean any harm, and it wasn't worth getting angry at something like this. "That's right young lady," Amina added with a motherly tone to her voice, "its rude to take stuff without asking."

The fairy stopped crying almost immediately and threw her hands into the air and cried out excitedly "Can I please have some soup!?" Placing her down onto my lap, I offered her my spoon and she eagerly began slurping away until the it was empty. "More!" I cleared my throat loudly. "….Please?"

Overall, she was kind of cute. She was only a few inches tall. Large, pointed ears poked out of her short blonde hair that sat just above her shoulders. White and black butterfly wings were attached to her back and she wore a mini skirt and crop top made from autumn leaves in various shades of yellow.

Eventually, she had her fill and flew onto my shoulder, pecked me on the cheek and flew away into the trees without another word. I was a little disappointed she left so soon (she was fracking adorable!) but I suppose she had other things to do. I quickly remembered why I was here and emptied my bowl, only to have another one held up to me by a red-faced Amina.

"Are you full Amina?" I asked as I took the bowl from her. For a moment Amina just sat there, twiddling her fingers together as she thought about her answer. "….Could you feed me as well? Now it was my turn to get nervous, I struggled to look her in the face as I mustered up the courage to say no when suddenly came a "Pleeeeeease?" (Fuck!)

I still might've had the strength to say no after that. But then she sat down right in front of me, an adorable pout on her face. But those eyes, those fracking eyes! They broke my resolve, after a long sigh I finally said "Fine." I almost dropped the bowl when Amina came at me, grabbing a hold of my collar with a wild look in her eyes. "Really!? Really!? REALLY!?" (You've really done it now Bain)

"….yes?" Amina suddenly jumped back and held her hands over her mouth as though she had said something awful, tears began pouring from her eyes and I could've sworn I saw some blood dripping from her nose. "Excuse me for a moment" she said weakly and before I could even blink, she disappeared into the bushes.

I sat there waiting for a good five minutes before the Goblin finally reappeared. Her face was still a little red and she was shaking from head to toe (What is wrong with this girl?) In the time it had taken for her to calm down the soup had gone cold, so I had to pour the contents back into the pot to reheat it.

I waited for her to sit back down next to me before reluctantly offering her the spoon. After some hesitation Amina leaned forward, opening her mouth with a sweet "Ahhhh" added in for effect, then our new friend reappeared. But she wasn't alone.

Two other fairies hovered behind her. I couldn't really see any difference between the three of them physically (don't they all look the same anyways?) But the leaves they wore came in different colours and the patterns on their wings were a little different too.

Amina was 'just' about to take a mouthful when the three of them suddenly swooped down from above and before we could even blink, the spoon and the bowl had been completely emptied. For a moment we just sat there, amazed at how quickly the three of them had eaten so much so quickly.

The silence was suddenly broken by a loud belch coming from the red fairy. "Wow! That wasn't half bad!" She declared loudly. "You were right when you said the food tasted good Ki." Added the orange one. Ki gave a giggle and flew back onto my shoulder to give me a hug, her friends followed closely behind and joined in.

"Aka, Orenji, help me say thank you to our new friend!" One fairy I could handle, but having all three of them sing out "Thankyou" and then pepper me with kisses was a little too much for me to handle. A strange squeaking sound started to escape my lips and my three attackers started hovering in front of me, a shared look of concern amongst them. "Are you ok big guy?" Orenji asked timidly, tears welling up in her eyes (what form of phycological torture is this!?)

I was just about to respond with a "No! I am not okay!" when our attention was suddenly drawn towards Amina, who seemed on her hands and knees, staring at the ground. Her breathing was slow and heavy, her skin turning a bright shade of red. She slowly raised her head and the look on her face could only be described as terrifying!

" . . !" My three new friends were understandably spooked by the monster before them and clung to me for protection. I wanted to calm Amina down before things escalated but I was too busy trying not to shat myself, all I could do was sit there with my mouth hanging wide open as she slowly made her way towards us.

"Get off him….NOW!" They didn't need to be told twice. Ki quickly flew off my shoulder and into the trees with Aka and Orenji following close behind. For what felt like an eternity I just stared at Amina as she stood over me, slowly returning to her original colour. After taking a deep breath in, then out, Amina sat back down again (though she still looked a little unhappy.)

"Umm, I need to….yeah." Amina didn't respond, she just nodded as I pulled myself up and walked away. I don't really think she could have said anything to justify her sudden outburst and I just wanted some time alone. After walking in a general direction for some time I came across a meadow hidden amongst the trees.

Nothing special about it, just a few rocks and Asters here and there. What did get my attention however was the large swarm of fairies fluttering around a boulder that sat in the very centre of the meadow. The boulder would have weighed about two tons and its shape reminded me of an egg (a rough one at that with a few dents and chips.)

I decided I needed to get my mind off Amina for a while and slowly made my way towards all the commotion that was going on. There were at least a hundred of them, all of them looked the same other than a few differences in hair and wing colour, but they were all wearing different outfits for what appeared to be an important event.

Most of them were just playing a game of chase high in the air but a few were painting very crude drawings of plants and animals on the boulder using a paste made from mashed berries and sand. Others were laying piles of leaves on the ground and another group oversaw gathering food from the forest and piling it up for everyone to enjoy.

I was only a few metres away when one of them finally noticed me. "Not so fast one eye!" cried out one of the fairies as she quickly flew down to confront me. She was wearing a dress made from some kind of flower that was white with pink tips on the pointed petals. A small twig was being used as a hair pin and she had a rather serious look on her face (still really cute though.)

"Were having an important festival tonight and we can't have any trespanthers!" She declared with her head held high. The other fairies seemed quite impressed with their leaders flawed vocabulary and joined in. "Yeah! No Panthers allowed!" They cheered merrily.

The whole thing was too much for me and I found myself rolling on the ground laughing hysterically as the fairies watched on in amusement and wonder. "Wow! He's not bad!" I heard one say. "Yeah! He's not even being tickled!" Cried out another. Hey Yusha, can he join the tickle festival?"

The bossy one known as Yusha regarded my wheezing mass anxiously before coming to a decision. "If you don't cause any trouble one eye, then I suppose you can join in." "Thanks," I said after taking a few deep breaths, "but what's the tickle festival?"

Everyone around me giggled at my rather silly question. "Tonight we tickle each other silly!" Yusha answered with a rather queer expression on her face. My face went blank when I realized my mistake "Of course, how silly of me." "Well don't just sit there!" Yusha cried out angrily, "Help us collect some food!" "Aye aye captain." I responded with a mock solute, which only resulted in everyone laughing and copying my joke like a bunch of kids.

I didn't have any trouble finding food for the fairies. Father once showed what I could eat in the forest at this time of year and by sun down we had a huge pile of food ready to eat. "Thanks for helping us out one eye!" Yusha said as I sat down for a quick rest. "Yeah! Aye aye one eye! Everyone cheered, with a few solutes thrown in (hope I haven't made a mistake teaching them that.)

By the time we were ready to start the festival many more guests had arrived. Talking to a few of them, I learnt that many had travelled from all over the unclaimed territory just to be here tonight. As it turns out they celebrate each season with a festival, autumn is the season of laughter and they celebrate by spending the night having a massive tickle fight with food and water breaks in between.

Summer is the season of energy, many of them fly around in the night sky with glow worms to put on a brilliant light show. Winter is the Season of love, everyone would gather into a bundle and have a massive cuddle fest to keep warm during the coldest part of winter. Then there's spring, the season of life, which is when everyone gathers within the secret garden that holds the fairy flowers. They welcome the newborns with gifts and when the festival is over they take them back home.

"Hey! It's you!" I turned around and saw Ki speeding towards me and before I could even react, she flew into my chest with a force that knocked me back a step. "I missed you big guy!" She cried out happily. "I missed you too" I responded, petting her on the head. "What happened to that angry monster?" she asked nervously", Is she here too?" (Fuck!)

I was having so much fun I had completely forgotten about Amina! "Yusha!" I cried out frantically to the massive swarm above. "Something wrong big guy?" The fairy somehow heard my voice over the all the commotion and flew down to see me.

"Would it be alright if I brought…." I gulped, "a date?" Both girls were quite surprised by my question and Ki didn't seem too keen on the idea. "You're not really going to bring her here, are you?" I know Amina went a little crazy back there but she's actually really nice, and I'm sure she'll apologize."

Ki looked over to Yusha for guidance but she simply responded with a shrug. "Well, if she says sorry, I guess that would be ok." Yusha gave a nod of approval and re-joined the guests who were now beginning the main event (if the growing laughter was any indication.)

It didn't take me long to Find Amina who was still at the clearing, pacing nervously as she awaited my return. A relieved expression appeared on her face when she saw me approaching, which was then replaced with surprise when I took her by the hand and led her away from the road.

I explained the situation to Amina on the way and she agreed to apologize to the girls and also to me for the way she acted earlier. I wasn't really angry anymore and just said "No problem." Ki and her friends were waiting for us just outside the border, and after a few sorry's and a few too many hugs we joined in on the fun.

I don't really remember much of that festival, a lot of tickling and laughter but that was it. The next morning Amina and I were cuddling up with more than a thousand fairies on the pile of leaves. Every muscle in my body had gone numb, my lungs hurt and everything reeked of….urine?


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Wet Behind the ears

"Noooooo! don't go friends!" Amina and I did our best to hide our annoyance. But neither of us wanted to stick around any longer when we figured out what had happened the night before (and we needed to continue with our journey.) "I'm sorry guys but we need to go" I responded as gently as I could.

They didn't seem very happy with my answer and before we knew it, more than a hundred little fairies were clinging onto us from head to toe, bawling their eyes out like children lost in the woods. "No! Don't go! Don't go!"

We tried to pull them off but when one would let go, another would fly in to fill the empty space. Eventually the two of us got sick of this and when I gave her a "go for it" nod, she went into monster mode and sent the lot of them scattering into the trees, screaming.

We quickly made our way back to our original resting spot and grabbed our things (Quite lucky no one decided to swipe it when we weren't around) and deciding to skip breakfast, we continued with our journey without further delay. There were a few things we promised one another that day.

1: Finding a place to wash ourselves was todays objective

2: Never again would we partake in any activities associated with Fairies

3: We would never, ever, EVER, speak of this again

I had no clue where any rivers or lakes were in these woods, nor did I want to go wandering around looking for such a place, only to lose my way and never find the road again. Despite my tracking abilities I could easily lose my own trail and sense of direction if I wasn't careful.

Fortunately, Amina seemed to know her way around the area and after walking for a good two hours we came upon a small side path that looked to be very old and poorly maintained. Apparently (according to Amina,) this trail would lead us to a spring after a half hour trek.

I was a little sceptical about going down such an unused road, but we were still covered in….you know what (it stuck to our skin and clothes and smelt foul.) I didn't care about the risks anymore, I just wanted to be fracking clean. I quickly grabbed Amina by the hand, ignored the cute smile on her face, and led her hastily down the track.

We reached our destination far more quickly than Amina had estimated (did I mention I was eager for a good wash?) and sure enough, there was the water spring. It was quite the view. Water from a river in the mountains above poured down from a steep cliff into a stone water bed, filled with beautiful spring water that sparkled brightly in the sunlight.

There was plenty of room for the two of us to swim in and the deepest sections would only bring the water up to my neck (which was a good thing since I couldn't swim.)

A dozen people could bathe in this spring without compromising their dignity thanks to the rocks and inclines which provided plenty of hiding spots for sensible folk such as myself.

But with such a beautiful thing laid bare before me, I found myself forgetting all dignity and restraint as I pulled off my clothes in front of a stunned Amina and charged into the water with a great shout.

Falling face first into the water with a loud splash, I felt every muscle in my body tighten, then relaxed as I quickly adjusted to the cold water. Raising my head above the water, I took in a breath of fresh air and shouted out to the skies above "God's this feels amazing!"

I didn't care if I was naked. Nor did it bother me when Amina nervously removed her own clothing and joined me in the water. The stickiness, the smell, it was gone! Granted, our clothes still needed a good scrubbing but we'll worry about that later!

After spending some time relaxing in the water, Amina swam back to shore and went through her belongings. She returned to the water with a large brush and a pouch containing some shampoo which we shared between the two of us.

The shampoo made my hair silky and clean, with a light fragrance that reminded me of apples, and the brush did a good job scrubbing off any dirt the water couldn't quite reach.

Our clothing took a little longer to clean up, but after thirty minutes of hard scrubbing we were confident that most of the….you know what was gone and our clothes were left to dry on a tree branch as we resumed our peaceful swim in the water.

Unfortunately, the peaceful swim didn't last long thanks to a 'playful' little Goblin. I was paddling in the water, minding my own business, when Amina decided to sneak up on me from behind, grabbing a hold of me in a way that painfully reminded me of Gamila.

"….Can I help you?" I asked awkwardly. Amina just giggled and pulled me into a tighter embrace. "What's the matter?" Amina asked in a teasing voice, "Don't you like being hugged like this?"

I was about to tell the annoying Goblin to let me go when I realized her nipples were….were….they were. "…Ehe….ehehehe….AHAHAHAHA-OWWW!"The reason for my sudden burst of laughter is quite simple, I'm ticklish. Too bad Amina took it the wrong way.

"The hell was that for!?" I shouted angrily as I rose to my feet, turning around to face my attacker, only to see Amina storming back to shore with her hands over her chest. "Jerk!" She shouted back towards me as she disappeared into the trees to sulk.

I sat back down into the water, rubbing my sore head as I tried to figure out what made her so angry. "Must be a monster girl thing." I grumbled to myself. Didn't really know what got her so upset, but I decided to apologize to her so things wouldn't get any worse than they are now. That was the plan anyway.

Once again, I was jumped from behind. But this time, it wasn't Amina. Before I could even process what was happening to me, I found myself being pulled through the water at a startling pace. I wanted to call out to Amina for help, but a large, scaly hand was pressed against my mouth.

Next thing I know I'm sitting on a rock covered in a soft coat of moss, inside a small cave hidden behind the waterfall. Seeing a few fish bones scattered all over the place caused me to panic as I tried to pull myself free of my abductor.

Even though it's skin was wet and slippery, the arms held me in place with an unnatural strength and tenderness that you would find only in a monster girl. The girl behind me let go of my chest and started stroking my head, hushing me like I was a crying child.

I didn't really like where this was going and wanted to get as far away from here as possible. But I remembered what happened last time I tried fighting a monster girl and decided to try a different approach.

I stopped my struggling and accepted the strangers embrace. I was hoping that she would let me go and start talking to me once she realized I wouldn't try to fight her. It sort of worked.

She let go of my mouth, but before I could even get a word in she wrapped both her arms around me and started rubbing her face affectionately against my own with a cute "Mmmmm." Noise added in.

It was strange. She didn't say anything and yet, it felt like she didn't need to. The way she held me. The way her body temperature rose to match mine. The pace of her breathing. Even the atmosphere between us told me everything I needed to know.

Her name was Triste. She was sad, no, lonely. She doesn't have any friends because everyone's afraid of her. Nor has she ever had a family of her own. Ever since she was little she wanted to hold someone in her arms, and be held in theirs. She wanted to listen to his voice every day, first thing in the morning and before going to sleep.

She wouldn't force herself onto me. She knows I'm just as inexperienced as she is, and wouldn't make me do anything that would cause me distress. She loved me. And she really, really wanted to keep me.

So how the hell do I know all this from touch alone? Simple. She's a Sahuagin. Overall, Sahuagin are little fish girls with fins and scales. You know that saying "Action speaks louder than words"? Well, that's pretty much a Sahuagin. They're not really good at talking to people, nor can they show any emotions except in special (sexual) situations.

They're a lot better at communicating with people by being intimate (touching each other in other words.) I guess that makes sense considering they used to be semi sentient fish people that ate anything they came across, both man and beast. I've never seen a fish smile before and Chief God forbid I ever do!

Anyway, back to my current situation. I wasn't really sure what to do now that I was in this situation. She abducted me, yes, but I don't blame her considering how lonely it would get out here. And on top of that she seems like a really nice girl that doesn't mean me any harm. So how the hell do I get out of this (without feeling bad afterwards?)

I decided to try and get her attention by holding her hand, but the moment I moved a single muscle she instantly understood my intentions and held onto me more tightly. Resting her head against my back, I could barely hear her whisper to me in a sweet voice "No. please. Don't make me let go." Then she started to cry….she just had to fracking cry!

I don't pretend to be some battle-hardened hero or cold-blooded assassin. When I see a little girl cry, I start to cry (doesn't help when this girl can transmit her feelings to others.) The sob fest that followed started to drain me both physically and emotionally. I began to lose my resolve to leave and once again relaxed in her embrace. It was then I noticed a few things.

It was quite cozy in here. The sound of water pouring into the spring outside had a soothing effect over me. It was quite dark, but a few streaks of light would leak through the wall of water, dancing along the walls in a way that felt almost hypnotic. Maybe this place isn't so bad. I could get used to spending the rest of my life here with Triste. Yes, I was home. I was fucking doomed.

But then my hero appeared. In the form of a half-naked Goblin wielding a mace and a scowl that would scare a dragon away. "GET AWAY FROM HIM YA SLIMY WATER SKANK!"

Triste released her grip and stood up, looming over me like a bear protecting her cub. She shook her head slowly, hissing like an angry returned to normal, I wanted to run, but I found myself paralyzed with fear.

All I could do was shoot Amina a "help me" look. Amina noticed this and without hesitation, charged at the angry Sahuagin with her mace raised in the air. But Triste had other ideas.

She grabbed ahold of me and, with blinding speed, rushed past Amina and we were outside again. When Amina emerged from the waterfall, she lunged at us for another strike. But Triste just moved to the other end of the spring within seconds and Amina fell face first into the water.

Almost an hour went by and the same thing just happened over and over again. Amina chased us through the water and Triste would simply dodge her attacks. Her plan was pretty simple: Wear Amina down and then finish her with a single blow.

Amina didn't seem to understand the situation she was in and just kept chasing us through the water, sometimes she ran and sometimes she had to swim depending on the depth of the water. Either way, she was never going to catch us, unless someone were to give her a hand.

Fortunately, I was able to develop a plan of my own. I waited until Amina was only a few feet away, Triste was preparing to move when I suddenly planted my feet hard into the ground.

Triste noticed this and paused to read my thoughts. But by the time she had figured what I was doing it was too late. Her grip was tight, but the slippery texture of her arms made it easy for me spin myself around until I was facing her directly.

The next part of my plan was to grab ahold of her so Amina could get a good shot at her….I don't know what happened. My hands just found themselves on the first thing I saw. And they happened to be her lady parts.

All three of us seemed to freeze in place for a few seconds, stunned at the sudden turn of events. Triste's cheeks went bright read and her grip loosened enough for me to break free.

Triste tried to take possession of me again, but Amina quickly snapped out of her trance and sent the girl flying, hitting the cliff wall with a 'smack!' I was about to thank Amina for the rescue. Instead, I received yet another knock to the head and doubled over in pain. "What the hell were you doing touching her tits you pervert!?"

Despite the two bruises, I couldn't help but smile at the angry Goblin and gave her a hug which surprised her greatly. "Thanks for the help Amina." I said sincerely. Amina shoved me away, her face bright red. It was then I realized I was still naked. "….Sorry."

Amina didn't have time to respond. Triste had gotten back up whilst we were distracted and lunged at her like a mad beast. Savaging her with sharp claws that tore her flesh like daggers.

Seeing Amina's blood. Hearing her screams. It made me angry. Very angry. Triste was too busy with Amina to see me running at her with my fist at the ready. I landed a good punch right on her face, knocking her down for a few moments before she quickly got back on her feet and lunged at me.

That was when something strange happened. She grabbed ahold of me for one second, but then she paused, then jumped back with a gasp. She looked right at me with an intense gaze and for a second I saw something in her eyes….fear?

I didn't know what was happening, but I wasn't going to back down. Not with Amina so badly injured. "Triste. Leave. Now!" It worked. It actually worked! Triste turned away and swiftly retreated back into her cave without even looking back! For a moment I just stood there. Stunned at the sudden turn of events. But then the sound of moaning quickly turned my attention to my injured companion behind me. She was going to need some stitches.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Little Angels

" **It's warm...dark….peaceful "where the hell am I?" Sitting myself up, I scanned my surroundings. Nothing. just darkness. "Hello!?" I called out, hoping that someone would hear me. my cry for help echoed far into the distance, but no response came.**

" **What the hell happened to me?" I asked myself. "I remember….water….pain." I paused for moment "….pain….Bain!" I jumped to my feet and started running aimlessly through the darkness, with no idea where I was going.**

" **Bain! Bain where are you!?" I screamed out, tears pouring from my eyes. "Bain Can you hear me!? Bain!?" I kept running and running and running until I stumbled, falling to the ground with thud. All I could do was lie there on the ground. Curled up in a ball as I continued to cry. "Bain….where are you?"**

After pulling Amina to shore I quickly went through her bags (ignoring the wooden dildo) and pulled out a large roll of bandages. Pulling off her clothes as gently as Possible, I looked her over and assessed the situation: She was losing blood….and fast.

Rinsing some of the blood away with water, I began wrapping the bandages tightly over her wounds until she looked like an undersized mummy with horns. It was enough to stop the bleeding. But was I fast enough?

She was still moaning a little, so at least she's still alive. Pulling some willow bark out of my medical pouch, I started to chew on the bitter substance until it had a soft, gooey texture. I then opened Amina's mouth and used my teeth to filter the painkillers down her throat. She swallowed, and her moaning quickly subsided.

 **I stopped crying and sat myself up again when a strange taste suddenly formed in my mouth. It was so bitter, but also a little sweet and salty. "What's happening to me?" I asked myself in a weak voice. It was then that another strange thing happened.**

 **My entire body started to go numb. My head started to spin so badly I fell back to the ground in a daze. I found myself losing all my worries and concerns for my current predicament and started to giggle and hum happily to myself like "Am I on drugs?"**

Realizing the worst was over, I fell to the ground with a long, loud moan. "Thank Asger." I found myself saying. It felt strange freaking out like that for a monster girl. If I remembered correctly, most of them can heal much more quickly than the ordinary human. But I suppose even a Goblin would've been in a lot of trouble with injuries like these.

I turned my attention back to the waterfall. The one Triste was still hiding in. I still couldn't believe I was able to scare her off so easily. But staying so close to the water was a very bad idea, so how was I going to carry Amina AND all our stuff away at the same fracking time?

Eventually, I came up with a solution. First, I pulled out the massive bear skin rug Amina had been carrying around. We were going to use it as a tent cover in case it rained during the night (our bed rolls weren't water proof) but I found another use for it.

I wrapped Amina nicely into the bear skin, my back pack snuggled next to her. I then sewed the two corners on each end together, creating some kind of portable bed that resembled a hairy canoe which I would be able drag around by tying the top end to my waist with some rope.

After some consideration, I decided to leave her mace behind. It was too heavy to carry around. Besides, I barely had the strength to carry the rest of her shit! Her pack was a few sizes greater than my own and a lot of her belongings was kitchen ware (made from steel I might add!)

 **Am I dead? No. I can't be. I'm still breathing. My heart is beating as well. So why do I feel so good right now? I felt warm and cosy like I was in a bed or something. But then there's these strange bumps and nudges every now and then. "Bain? Are you there?"**

Sweat was pouring down my face, my feet were aching, and my back was just about ready to give out. Eventually I couldn't handle the strain and fell to the ground in exhaustion. I was barely halfway up the side path and even if I could reach the main road, then what?

Amina's life might not be in danger anymore but the situation was still looking bleak. We needed help. Suddenly, I heard a scream coming from the direction of the spring, followed closely with much laughter and cheering. There were girls playing in the spring.

The idea of leaving Amina alone in her condition didn't sit well with me. Approaching a heap of monster girls also seemed like a really bad idea. But we were in a desperate situation. And desperate times called for desperate measures. Untying the rope and setting the large pack down, I quietly made my way down the trail towards the place I had been working so hard to get away from.

As I got closer, the sounds of laughter and talking became more audible, and every once in a while I could hear the sounds of splashing further ahead. Peeking my head over a rock, I almost cried out in joy when I realized they were fairies. And one of them looked very familiar.

The only way I recognised Yusha was because she was bossing all the other girls around in an adorably loud voice, and for some reason her hair was still being held in place with a twig.

"Yusha!" I called out happily as I made my way towards the group. As soon as the girls saw me, every single one of them flew into the air, screaming and covering themselves like any right minded young lady should (real smart Bain, real smart!)

"Here to peek at our bodies you one eyed pervert!?" Yusha cried out furiously, her face turning red with anger and embarrassment. Some of the girls joined in and started chanting the word "Pervert" over and over again.

Others scrambled for their clothes, but they were in such a hurry a lot of tops and skirts were ripped in the process. Let me tell you something. Girls don't like having their clothes wrecked (I learnt that from my sister a while ago,) and these little fairies were no exception.

"Nooooo! Our clothes! Our clothes! Waaaaah!" The situation was getting out of hand. How do I respond? I get down on my hands and knees and apologized, of course. "I am so, so sorry everyone." I cried out dramatically. I felt bad for what I did, don't get me wrong. But I might have….overexaggerated. Just a little bit. To calm them down. "I have no right to ask you of this, but I need your help."

Everyone went dead silent for a few moments. I don't think they were expecting such a reaction, because all of them were soon cuddling up to me with some very sorry looks on their faces (I should become an actor!)

"It's ok friend," Yusha cooed. "You didn't do anything serious, sorry for getting so angry." "yeah, sorry One eye." The others added affectionately. "You said you needed help with something?" One of the girls asked nervously "Are you ok?"

"I'm ok little lady." I answered warmly, standing myself up again "But Amina, she's badly hurt. Is there a safe place she can rest?" Everyone let go of me and gasped rather loudly. "Where is she? Is she ok?" I started walking back the way I came "C'mon, follow me." Then I paused, and turned around again. "But put some clothes on first."

It didn't take long for everyone to put on their clothes (what was salvageable anyways) and with a little extra energy in my step, I lead my little friends up the path to where I had left Amina. Who was still wrapped up cosily in the strange stretcher I had put together.

Seeing Amina in such a state gave mixed reactions from my current company. Most of them bawled their eyes out and held one another for comfort. Apparently, Amina was already dead. Others, looked at the situation a little differently. "Hehe, she looks like a Mummy." A few pointed out rather rudely.

Yusha, at least, was able to take the situation seriously. "well, at least we can move her around safely." She offered nervously. "Yeah, but I have no idea where to go." I responded. "Do you guys have any ideas?"

Yusha thought long and hard at my question. She seemed a little uneasy about something. "Is there something you know, Yusha?" The little fairy looked me right in the eye, and with a very nervous voice she answered "We could take her to Vila….it's a city….in the fairy kingdom."


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Nevereverland

I know, I know. I'm going to the Fairy kingdom even though Amina and I agreed we would never get involved with fairies again. Am I hypocritical? Sure! Do I trust people too easy? Probably. Am I an Idiot? After everything that's happened, I would say yes.

But am I a pitiless monster, who would abandon his comrade (slash stalker) in the middle of the woods with terrible, disfiguring injuries? Fuck no! Pardon the language, but I will not get by in life with little regard for the lives of others.

Now don't get me wrong, I did not want to go to the Fairy Kingdom for quite a number of reasons. But my number one concern was Yusha. She's a fairy, that was nervous about taking us to the Fairy Kingdom.

Even when I decided to accept the offer to get Amina to a safe place, Yusha wanted to be 'absolutely' sure that I wanted to do this. That's like being told by a professional chef to be careful when eating a chunk of deep sea bloat fish he had spent hours preparing for you. It made me nervous.

After taking a very deep breath, I ordered Yusha and her friends in a loud and confident voice to "Do what you have to do!" Everyone exchanged nervous glances between one another before getting themselves into position.

What started as a quite game of Ring Around the Rosie escalated into a blur of wings and flashing lights as the girls flew around me to create what was known as a 'fairy ring'. I always wondered what the sensation would be like traveling to another dimension. Nothing special as it turned out.

I felt my entire body go numb, then lift off the ground a little. Everything was warm and bright for a moment before feeling my feet touch the ground again. The hard part was recovering from the small hangover the spell had given me. But as my senses returned to normal and the throbbing ceased, I realized I was in a very strange place.

The sky was blue. That was the only thing I could see that looked normal. And even then, most of it was hidden behind dozens of massive rainbows which didn't just arch over our heads, but danced and twirled like they were having a wild party amongst the clouds (which were pink by the way.)

Not too far from us was a massive castle with towers that reached up to said clouds, all shiny and pink like they were from some child's story book! I could sense the air had some aphrodisiacal qualities and with some quick thinking, I pulled out a red scarf from my pack and wore it over my face like a mask.

The trees had faces. The flowers had faces. The fracking sun had a face! And don't even get me started on the animals that lived here! Yes, I come from a place filled with ridiculously pretty and horny monster women who rape men on a daily basis, but this was just ridiculous! I was greeted by a talking pig wearing a hat and tie for Asger's sake!

"Oink! Welcome to Vila, young visitors! The strange animal greeted with much enthusiasm. My oink is Sir Peccary Babirusa!". The pig then turned his gaze to Yusha and smiled. "It's good to oink you again after such a long oink Yusha!" The little fairy next to me hovered over to the pig and started whispering into his ear about something (how rude!)

That was when I realized something, she was the only one who decided to go with us! Why didn't anyone else come along? I was beginning to panic. Especially when Sir Pecker something's face turned rather serious all of a sudden. "I see, oink! Very well then! I will oink my word and help you just this oink!" He declared with a more serious tone.

"Help us with what exactly?" I asked apprehensively. Pecker didn't answer. He just started trotting back towards the castle and instructed us to follow with haste (oink!) I turned to Yusha hoping for an explanation, but she just looked away and followed closely behind her porky little friend.

"What about our things!?" I called out. "Oink worry!" Was my response. I'll oink some of my friends carry oink all in once your all inside!" Just in case, I decided to bring my pack along (you can never be too careful. With Amina now in my arms, I reluctantly followed the talking pig to our next destination.

Heading towards a massive drawbridge, I realized I would have to leave my weapons at the entranceway (this is a castle after all.) I decided to pull a knife out of my pack when the other two weren't looking and stuffed it down….a place no one would look….I hoped.

 **What's going on now? For a moment, I lost all feeling in my body. Now, I'm smelling some funky weird fumes. Their making me feel hot and….bothered….ok fine, it's making me horny. "I'm starting to get sick of this!" I yelled to no one in particular. I knew no one could hear me, so there was nothing wrong with letting off some steam. "Bain, you one eyed twat! Help me!"**

Why a fairy city would need to have such a massive entranceway was beyond me. Honestly! A real deal Dragon could just pull down the wooden bridge and walk right on through with hardly a squeeze. Can you actually find Dragons in the Fairy Kingdom? Maybe not, but you get the idea, it was huge.

Waiting for us at the drawbridge (which was already down) were two guardsmen. I wasn't too sure what to expect, but for some reason I felt a little surprised to see they were both Pixies.

Not really a lot of differences between Fairies and Pixies, physically speaking. Pixies preferred to wear blue fabrics to match their hair. They had little horns spouting from the top of their heads and their wings were like dragonflies rather than butterflies.

They are no less childish and simple minded, but they do however, originate from the demon realm. That makes them naturally perverted and lustful in comparison to the normally innocent and playful Fairies we have encountered so far in our adventures.

One of the Pixies darted up to the pig and raised a hand. "You shall not pass!" Pecky spluttered and bumbled like an idiot for a moment before regaining his composure. "And why oink that young lady?" The walking hunk of ham asked pompously. "no reason," responded the guard, "I just always wanted to say that."

Once again, Pecker lost his cool and started to lecture the two girls about responsibilities blah blah blah. "Alright, alright, take it easy porker!" Said the jesters companion with a grin. "We'll let you lot into…." She suddenly realized we had a heavily bandaged goblin in tow. "She gonna be ok?" "Yeah, she'll be alright after some rest." I responded calmly.

The Little Pixie regarded me for a moment and narrowed her eyes. "Yer not gonna cause us any trouble, are you?" I suppose I would look pretty strange with the whole eyepatch and scarf thing I got going on (good thing I have my knife hidden away.) "….No?" I responded weakly. "….Well….Ok! In you go!" (Why do I even bother?)

Rather than complaining about the fact the guards seem to have no common sense or concept of being a 'guard', I'm just going to move on to the part where we walked through the gate (Did I mention it was massive?) and into the city of Vila.

You know the term 'shiny on the outside, rotten on the inside'? Well, I wouldn't say the city within these walls were rotten. Everything just looked….earthy.

Rather than tiles or cement, the ground was made up entirely of soft, moist soil. Every single building was some kind of plant or fungus that grew strait out of the ground in many different shapes and sizes. Everything looked wet and dirty. Perfect if you were a plant. Not so much if your a kids that doesn't like getting mud on his boots.

There was only one road. It started from the main gate, cutting right through the city and into the royal palace (makes sense since most of its citizens can fly.) Flowers, roses and sweets were being thrown out to massive crowds who were clearly having a good time in a city where few rules existed.

Such rules appeared to have been enforced by a few Pixies who patrolled the perimeter, looking diligently for any bullies or arsonists that may be lurking within the massive crowds. Despite the incompetence of the gate keepers, the local authorities seemed to be working hard settling arguments and helping children who were lost in the streets.

There was just one thing that bothered me. Everyone seemed to be in a frisky mood. The girls Amina and I knew were very sweet and innocent (perhaps a little disgusting,) but everyone here seemed to enjoy a few of life's more….intimate….games.

A few of them took notice of me as we walked past. But my choice of clothing appeared to have unsettled them somewhat and, fortunately, I was left alone. The entranceway to the palace looked so shiny and majestic, but the natural dullness of the surrounding area took some of the magic away. It looked alright though! Just not what I expected.

There were more guards at waiting for us at the main doors. But they just moved aside and let us through without even a word (can't believe they would let an armed stranger into the castle.)

The décor was not to my liking. Everything was shiny and pink. The way it hurt my eyes reminded me of the hallway back at the manor in which Amina once called home. Also, the intoxicating fumes in the air smelt more potent inside, and I was beginning to worry what it would do to me if I stayed here too long. "The sooner we get out of here," I muttered to myself "the better."

 **I was squirming on the ground. My breathing was getting heavy. My body starting to sweat. "For fucks sake!" I screamed, "Why am I getting so jacked up!?"** **That was when something happened**. **I felt hands, someone's hands rubbing my back tenderly.**

 **I slowly turned over, then jumped to my feet when I realized someone was right next to me. "Who the hell are you!?" I asked, holding my hands over my body like I was some shy little maiden (technically I am a maiden.)**

 **I couldn't see who it was. It was too dark to make out a face. But then, the stranger spoke in a voice I was very familiar with. "Amina?" My heart skipped a beat. "….Bain?"**

Sir Pecks led into the waiting room and told us a doctor would be here soon to take Amina to the infirmary. This prompted me to look over my little companion to make sure she was still breathing. Well, she looked ok. Sort of. Beneath the bandages I could see a blissful smile on the Goblins face. But her breathing was a little heavy, and she appeared to be sweating quite a bit. "Hang in there Amina." I whispered to her tenderly. "You're going to be ok."

It was then that our guide cleared his throat (though it sounded more like a snort than anything else) and made an unexpected announcement. "Well, I can oink no more for the two of you oink. The Queen will oink you shortly to hear your….request."

Yusha nodded and gave the pig a hug, once again whispering into his ear. Her friend responded with a nod and began to take his leave. But not before turning back and said simply "Good luck to you oink friend." I had just about enough of all this whispering and secrets, and was just about to say something when an elderly Fairy suddenly entered the room.

When I say elderly, I mean her hair had streaks of grey in it. A few wrinkles could be seen under her eyes as well, but they still seemed to have a little energy in them despite her being well past her youth. With a tender smile she approached Amina and pulled out a little stick which appeared to be some kind of wand.

All she did was give the thing a flick, and Amina was floating in the air within seconds. "Don't worry dear," she said to me in a frail, but sweet voice, "Your friend will be back to her old self in no time." "That's good to hear," I responded warmly, "and thank you." The old Fairy just smiled, and slowly made her way out the room, with Amina's floating mass following closely behind.

"Care to explain what we're doing here?" Yusha flinched at the question and started scratching the back of her neck uncomfortably. "….Just….let me do the talking….you'll understand what's going on soon enough." I was over it. Yusha didn't want to talk about it, and I was done with the whole stressing out thing. Far too much effort. I just shrugged and muttered "Whatever." I doubt it was anything serious (they are Fairies after all.)


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Hornet's Nest

"You there! Yusha!" The two of us didn't have to wait long before a particularly rough looking Pixie approached us with a surprising amount of gruffness to her voice. Her hair had been dyed red and trimmed into a Mohawk which, admittedly, looked really cool. She was a little bigger and bulkier than her subordinates, with scars of unknown origins on her face and arms.

"Hello, Tiff." Yusha greeted rather bluntly. If the stony expressions on both girl's faces were any indication, they weren't on good terms with one another. "Never thought I'd see your face here again, after what happened last time." Yusha's face went pale as she hovered higher in the air until she was looking the Pixie right in the face. "I assume You're here to escort us to her majesty….the Queen?"

Tiff didn't seem to like the change in her tone and hovered a little higher over her rival with a threatening glare. I could see where things were going and decided to intervene by clearing my throat. "If you don't mind ma'am," I enquired politely, "could we see her now before the hour grows late?" Tiff spun around and folded up her arms. "Humph! Very well young warrior!"

I found it strange being called a warrior. I wasn't wearing any armour, nor did I carry a sword (I do have a knife but everyone should have one of those!) I should've known better and asked Yusha for answers before walking through that door. I guess I was just….sick of all the drama that went on today. I wanted to relax a little, simple as that.

The great hall, was horrible. The drapes, the carpet, the walls and even the ceiling was pink! Little red and white rose petals floated in the air just a few feet above our headd. Two massive tables sat on either end of the hall, stretching all the way down to the other end where the queen was waiting for us. They were absolutely stacked with lollies and sweets (just looking at them gave me a toothache!) There were no windows. Instead, a massive ball of light shone right above the throne like a star. Lighting the entire room up to a ridiculous brightness that hurt my eye. But what concerned me the most, were the Imps.

Like Pixies, Imps originated from the demon realms. But these little creatures are very closely related to Succubus (like Gamila,) and it's because of this, they are known to be a lot more….aggressive. Their basically miniature versions of the Succubus we all know and love. Little horns on their heads, bat wings and of course, the pointy tails at the end. They were all dressed in purple ribbons held together with buttons, barely covering their tiny bodies (not sure why they bother dressing like that) and they all coloured and styled their hair differently, likely to give themselves some degree of individuality.

There were hundreds of them! Outnumbering the Fairies and Imps amongst them, ten to one. Some were eating the sugary sweets on the tables until they were vomiting into little containers to make room for more. Others, were chasing one another in the air. They didn't seem to be as fast and agile as their Pixie companions, but they appeared to work well together as a team when playing their game of tag (which is how they catch their prey.)

No sooner did we take our first steps into the hall, everyone turned their attention to us and took flight. They hovered over us as we made our way to the other end of the room, whispering rather loudly amongst one another. "The fuck is Yusha doing back here?" "Looks like she's here to cause trouble." "Who's the one-eyed kid?" "Wonder if he's Yusha's bodyguard….a little young though." "He looks really scary!" " Hehe, I bet he's only got a little one in his pants!" This wasn't the welcome I was expecting. Sure, seeing a few Imps here and there wouldn't have been that much of a surprise. But why so many of them? This is the Fairy Kingdom….Isn't it?

The little monsters didn't stop their childish gossiping until we were standing right in front of the queen. A Titania. For those who are not familiar with them, I'll give you a short description. Imagine a Fairy, but human sized. Oh! And they have very, very, very, big boobs. They're not much smarter than the rest of their kind. But They are known to be rather gentle and caring towards others, which is probably why the Fairies chose them to be their leaders (or is it because of their massive boobs?)

This one , seemed to be particularly fond of the colour pink. Her frilly dress was pink. Her wings were pink. Her eyes were pink. Even the flowers in her hair were pink! Her hair wasn't pink though (thank goodness for that,) it was blond and curly. She had a very gentle smile on her face, and the horrible light shining above gave her an unearthly glow.

Standing to her left was a man. He looked a little old, with his dark hair beginning to grey, and a few wrinkles on his face. He didn't seem to be wearing any armour, but a sword with rubies decorating its hilt hung menacingly on his belt. Like the queen, he had a gentle smile. But his posture showed strength and nobility. It's likely this man has watched over the Titania for many years, and would fight to the very end to keep her safe (not entirely sure what he would have to fight though.)

Seated to her right was another Titania. Only this one looked to be a little….different. She had straight, jet black hair, with lots of makeup on her face. She looked a little younger than the queen. The princess, perhaps? She resembled the old knight to some extent. Wouldn't surprise me if the two of them conceived her some time ago, considering the fact male Fairies never existed even before the coming of the Demon Lord. Her clothing was much more Goth Lolita like (which I'm kinda into.) What I didn't like, was the contempt, cynical expression on her face. Looking at the two of them, I found it hard seeing any family resemblance.

The old knight was the first to speak. "You stand in the presence of Ceana The Beautiful, fourth of her name, Queen of Vila." The Queen gave a small nod (which I assumed was a lazy form of curtsey.) The old man gave Yusha a nervous glance before continuing. "State your name, visitors." Yusha hovered in front of me and decided to answer for the both of us (not that I really minded or anything.) "I…I am Yusha! And this is…." I leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "Bain Kolf-Skot! The one-eyed warrior!"

I didn't say that last bit. That was all her (why is everyone calling me a warrior today?) Ceana held a hand over her mouth and giggled rather unprofessionally. "It's wonderful to see you again Yusha," The Queen greeted in a motherly voice. "and I welcome you also, Bain Kolf-Skot." The knight turned his attention to our escort. "Tiff, thank you. You may leave." The Pixie banged a fist over her chest dramatically before taking her leave.

I never really liked having people talk down to me. Nor have I ever enjoyed being treated like some brain-dead toddler. I know she didn't mean anything by it, but the smile I gave her was a very painful one. "I am very happy to make your acquaintance, your majesty." "No need for formalities sweetie," She cooed affectionately, "Just call me Mother."

My eye twitched violently. Fortunately, no one noticed thanks to Yusha clearing her throat (thankyou Yusha!) "I apologize my queen, but we are not here for friendly chit chat." (you tell em girl!) The Queen's eyes opened wide with shock. "Oh my goodness! Is everything ok my dear?" (just explain the situation to her so we can get the hell out of here!) Yusha took a deep breath. "I am here for your castle, your city, and your throne!" (Yeah! Wait, WHAT!?)

Everyone was dead silent for a very, long, time. The Imps (unfortunately) were the first to recover, bursting into wild fits of laughter. "Is she serious!?" "No! No way! This has to be a joke!" "Who the fuck does she think she is!?" Ceana tried to bring calm to the hysterical swarm as best she could, but it wasn't until her daughter raised a hand did they all fall silent. "Thank you, Daniela." The young Titania simply nodded. But I noticed her eyes were beginning to gleam with….anticipation? " Please Yusha," The woman pleaded (was she crying?) "why would you say something so horrible?" Yusha decided to answer that question with a speech. A fuckin good one at that.

"I remember a time, when I had so much love and respect for you. A time when I felt happy and safe. A time, when I called this place my home. But no more. No more can I sit idly by and watch you bring this city to ruin."

My jaw almost hit the floor as I listened to Yusha speak. I already knew she was a little different to the rest of her kin. But this took the cake!

"Yes, peace and prosperity shines over Vila. That light provides us warmth, happiness, and protection from the dangers of the outside world. But it has also made us blind to another threat. One that lurks within. One that will bring an end to our culture, our beliefs, our very way of life. You know what I speak of. They are all around us."

I didn't need to be a genius to know what she was talking about. I glanced up to the Imps above. From the looks of their baffled expressions, they were yet to realize what she was talking about (which might be a good thing.) I then turned my attention to the people in front of us to see how they were taking the news.

Daniela, who just earlier looked very bored and uninterested in what was going on, was now on the edge of her seat, her eyes filled with hunger and excitement. The old man was no longer standing tall and proud as he was just moments ago. He was now looking at the ground with a downcast expression on his face. This made him look very old, and very tired. For a royal guard to show weakness during such a situation would have been considered utterly disgraceful in the eyes of their ruler. But the Queen wasn't taking the news well herself.

The Titania, soaked in her own tears, rose from her chair and got down onto her knees right in front of us (eyes off her cleavage Bain,) her hands clasped together as though she were praying. "Please Yusha," She pleaded pitifully. "Tell me what this darkness is you speak of."

I was just about ready to fall on my face. It's bad enough the Queen chose to unprofessionally get down on her knees and beg. But to be unable to understand the situation at hand made it very clear to me that this woman was not the sharpest stick in the bunch (and that's saying something.)

"I'm talking about the creatures spawned from the demon realm, your majesty." Yusha answered patiently. It would seem as though everyone in the room was quite familiar with their leader's lack of intelligence. The fact everyone here was (up until now) ok with her being their ruler, shows that the kingdom has never had to deal with anything serious regarding public safety or corruption before.

"When the Imps and Pixies first visited this great city, I welcomed them warmly like everyone else. But then things began to change, and not for the better. Fun, innocent games like Hide and Chase were soon replaced with activities where we would play with our bodies and make our minds go to mush with ecstasy. Fun games. But they come at a price."

"Don't pretend you didn't love it ya stuck up pansy!" Shouted one of the Imps. The Imps once again burst into laughter, only to be silenced by Daniela. The whole thing was beginning to make me uncomfortable. I'm not talking about the fact Yusha was discussing sex with a Queen right in front of me. What worried me, was the amount of control the young Titania seemed to have over the Imps. Imps are not known for their obedience or loyalty towards others. Only monsters with lots of demonic energy should be able to have that much control over them. It just didn't make any sense to me. Yusha waited patiently for the laughter to cease before continuing.

"These new games have made us lazy and meek. So few of us now venture outside our homes to nurture the trees and plants in the forests that we once treasured for so many years. Countless sick and injured animals have died because we were not there to save them. Many of us don't even attend our seasonal festivals anymore! Those festivals are our way of showing our love and appreciation to Arbor, and all her creations!"

I flinched when I heard the word "festival." It's hasn't even been a day since that rather unpleasant night (and I'd rather avoid attending any more of those in the future if I can help it.) Despite that, I did understand what she was saying. In the unclaimed realm, Fairies are called 'the keepers of the forests'. It's their job to protect and preserve life, which is something they have always cherished. But it would seem these new games are changing that.

It was then the old man suddenly stepped forward. "And why do you believe our Queen is not capable of finding a solution to this problem herself, Yusha?" He didn't look angry or threatening in any way. But the firmness in his voice was enough to make Yusha gulp. "I….I do not believe Ceana has the heart, or resolve to do what has to be done." Yusha answered rather meekly. "She is far too soft and….and…." She took a deep breath, and then shouted, "And I am not leaving until we settle this with a duel!"

The knight looked to his Queen (who finally got back onto her feet) and asked, "what would you have me do, Ceana?" The Titania closed her eyes as she sat back down onto her throne. It was clear she wanted to avoid conflict. I didn't really know how these duels were played out in the Fairy Kingdom, but she seemed to finally understand the danger she was in.

Finally, she answered, "If this will please you Yusha, I will accept your challenge for my crown." Yusha gave a sigh of relief. "Thank you, your majesty." "However," she continued, "should you lose….you will be forbidden to enter Vila. Forever." A fair deal in my opinion. And Yusha seemed to feel the same way. "Ok. I accept your conditions."

"Fidelis, you will be my champion." The old warrior gave a nod, and walked a few metres forward until he was in the centre of the hall (I guess the duel is right here, right now.) "Bain, take your position in front of Fidelis." Ceana instructed. It took me a moment to realize what she just said. "….Huh?" "Ummm….Bain?" Yusha whispered, "I've chosen you to be my champion."


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: I Am The Storm

This day just keeps getting better and better! Woke up this morning covered in Fairy piss (Lovely!) I get abducted by a creepy fish girl (Lots of fun that was!) This results in a particularly pesky Goblin getting mutilated in her attempt to rescue me (that was a hoot!) Later in the day, I became a Peeping Tom (go me!) Travelled to another dimension (who hasn't?) Walked right into a power struggle which, in all honesty, should have nothing to do with me (I'm a man of the people!) And now, I'm duelling an old knight….using a sword….even though I had never even held one before.

I was just about to inform Yusha there was no way in hell I was going to do this, when an iron long sword (carried by a dozen Pixies) was thrown into my arms. It was a little big and heavy for someone of my size. Despite everything, I couldn't help but see the humour in my current predicament. "Heh, got anything bigger?" One of the Pixies hovered in front of my face. "Oh, you want a broadsword?" She asked, a hint of surprise in her voice. "What? N-no!" I shouted angrily. "I shouldn't even be-"Oi! Let's get this fight started already!" One of the Imps called out rather rudely.

That was it. My only chance to get out of this mess was lost because I made a stupid Dad joke! A few very excited Imps flew in before I could protest and pulled me towards my awaiting opponent. Dropping me onto my back and then flying away, giggling. Pulling myself back up, I realized some kind of magical barrier had formed around us like a giant bubble. Banging a fist onto the rubbery mass, I realized I wasn't getting out of here without a fight.

All around us, Fairies, Imps and Pixies had gathered to watch the fight. Understandably, most of the Fairies were more concerned with our safety than the actual fight. Tears were already pouring from their eyes as they childishly cried out to us, "Be careful you two! Try not to hurt each other!" The Pixies on the other hand, were taking the situation more seriously. "Don't let the pretender take the throne Fidelis! Strike the boy down for your country and Queen!" But then there was the Imps. They were in an absolute frenzy. "Cut his fucking head off!" "Yeah! Make him scream!"

I tried once again to explain that I wasn't here to duel, but there was so much cheering and jeering going on they couldn't even here me! Even Fidelis couldn't understand what I was trying to say to him (or he just didn't care!) Ceana remained in her seat whilst Daniela had chosen to watch the fight just a few feet away from the barrier, surrounded by her little Impish friends. All that was needed was a small nod from the Queen and Fidelis started to make his way towards me, his sword at the ready. "Oh….shit!" All I could do was jump sideways to avoid getting sliced in half as the old man swung down in a chopping motion. Before I could even blink Fidelis prepared for another swing, and this time, I thought I'd try blocking the next blow with my own sword.

Clang! Thud! "Fuck!" I tried placing my left hand onto the back of my sword to absorb most of the impact. But the old man was stronger than he looked. I ended up on my ass with a deep cut in my hand from my own weapon (real smooth Bain.) The sight of blood was enough to make some of the Fairies faint in mid-flight. I looked over to Fidelis and could see he was trying to say something to me. From the look of it, he wanted to know if I wished to continue. I was about to surrender and call it a day when….I lost control.

The pain. The fear. The taunting. The fuckin screaming! I suddenly closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. My body. It hurt! My muscles felt as though they were on fire! Sweat poured down my face as I felt my temperature rise to unbearable levels. I began to shake and froth at the mouth like some beast with rabies. Fidelis noticed something was wrong and stepped forward to check on me. But the moment he took his first step, I jumped to my feet and screamed. I was survival mode now, and I had no idea what I was going to do next.

Everyone in the room went dead silent. I don't think they were expecting that (neither was I,) even Fidelis seemed a little shaken from my crazed war cry. I didn't move. I didn't want to. Despite the condition I was in, I still had a little bit of control over my body (if Fidelis doesn't attack me, I should be ok.) The old knight raised his sword into the air and took another step forward (fuck!) My instincts kicked in and I charged at my opponent.

Memories. Old memories began to fill my head as everything around me began to slow down to a near standstill. I read a book on swords. A long time ago. And everything on that book came back to me in a flash of light. **Don't force your blade, move with it. Use its weight to gain momentum and use your entire body to guide it in the desired direction. It's not just a weapon, it's an extension of yourself. Step, step, swing, then one step back and repeat. Keep your opponent on his toes, but don't lose yourself in the dance or you'll die young. Never expose your back to an opponent but stay aware of your surroundings as you fight. Keep your blade sharp, and your mind sharper.** With all this information now burned into my brain, I felt a little more confident in my abilities. Just a little bit.

Time returned to normal almost in an instant, and Fidelis was not going to wait for me to make the next move. Once again, he ran forward and swung downwards. But I decided not to block it this time. Instead, I stepped forward, using my sword to gain momentum, I swung my entire body round with my blade held at eye level. Fidelis had to jump back as my blade collided with his own. I didn't stop his attack, I deflected it like a total bad ass!

Sure, the massive amount of adrenalin in my system was probably improving my performance considerably. But who cares! I was fighting back! It was my turn to attack. Before Fidelis could even blink I rounded onto him with my sword at the ready. I wasn't going to hold back like the old man had earlier, I was fighting to win. I spun my blade forward once as a feign, then used its momentum to send a more powerful blow aimed at the old knight's head Fidelis. The old man seemed to be taking the fight more seriously now, and deflected my attack using a similar technique I used just seconds ago.

He thought he could use the opportunity to make a counter attack while I was finishing my swing, but I just shifted my feet and twisted my entire body round and our blades collided once again. But the force of our two weapons was so great it made the halls ring out with a great clang! By now everyone watching us had gone absolutely insane. The Imps and Pixies weren't expecting such an exciting fight, and they were loving every moment of it! Some of them were placing bets. Others were clapping and whistling. A few of them (including Tiff) were even cheering me on! Daniela looked to be absolutely star struck. Even Ceana was one her feet, inching closer to the barrier with a very concerned look on her face. Yusha was now the only Fairy in the room (everyone else flew off after I screamed,) she looked a little concerned for my wellbeing, but continued to cheer me on as we fought for what felt like hours.

I understand now. I understand what that author was trying to explain in his book. I thought he was just some glorified lout who wanted to make sword fighting sound interesting and exciting by being all dramatic and poetic with the instructions and explanations. But now I get it. Fidelis and I were moving in sync with one another. Attacking and deflecting with a finesse and grace that felt like dancing. I was loving it! Too bad I forgot something important: **Don't lose yourself in the dance.**

Fidelis had begun to tire. His movements were starting to slow down and the force in his swings weaken. Eventually, it came to a point where he stopped attacking me and started to lower his sword. I saw my opportunity and decided to take it. I charged head on, expecting him to counter. only this time, his speed would fail him. What I wasn't expecting was for the old fuck to wait until the last second, grabbing a hold of my arm and punching me right in the bloody nose!

I fell to the ground in a heap and everyone gave a great cheer. "Yeah! Good move Fidelis!" "Nice try one-eye!" "Man, that must've hurt!" The Barrier disappeared shortly after and Yusha was the first to greet me. "Bain! Are you ok!?" The sound of Yusha's voice sprang me back to life as I sat back up again and started to yell at the poor thing. "Am I ok? Am I ok? Do I look Ok to you!?" Yusha gave a squeal as she moved back until she was safely out of reach. "Not really….I guess." "I could have died back there!" I screamed ferociously, "You didn't even ask me if I wanted to….to…." Yusha tilted her head in confusion. "Bain?" I didn't answer. I just laid myself down gently until I was lying flat on the ground.

The adrenaline had left my system. I was hurting all over. It got to a point I couldn't even move. After accepting congratulatory hugs (and turning down some other things) from dozens of adoring fans, Fidelis approached me before the nurses could to carry me away on a stretcher. He looked exhausted. Not as bad condition as I was in but it certainly took a lot out of him. "Sorry for punching you lad," The old man huffed, "but you did put up quite the fight. Wasn't sure if I was going to win that one without playing dirty." All I could give the guy was weak a smile and a small grunt. Sure, I was hurting all over. But I had a blast!

Off in the distance, I could he Queen calling out to us (I think she was on her throne again,) "You fought well young warrior! But it would appear as though I will not be losing my kingdom today!" I didn't really care anymore about Yusha's mission. She had her chance and she blew it. If she was that desperate for the crown, she should've asked someone a little older and more experienced in combat (not my problem anymore.)

But then, over the cheering and laughter, Daniela spoke for the first time. And all at once, everyone went silent. "I'm not entirely sure…. you should be celebrating just yet….Mother." I don't really know how to explain this. Her voice was sweet and tender like honey. But….it was as though they were filled with a foul poison.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The Butterfly Effect

With a lot effort, I managed to turn my head to the side so I could see what was going on. Daniela was standing right in front of her mother who, as I had guessed earlier, was sitting on her throne. I couldn't see the Princesses face because she was facing the other direction. But the Queen appeared to be quite puzzled by her Daughters strange behaviour. "What do you mean sweetie? Fidelis won the duel." She then gave her daughter a reassuring smile. "Everything is ok now."

That was when I felt it. A horrible chill ran down my spine. The atmosphere in the room changed, and everyone felt it. The Imps started circling above the two girls like vultures awaiting a feast. Fidelis took a step forward with his hand on the hilt of his sword. The pixies stood (hovered) with him, ready for trouble.

Daniela giggled maliciously as she loomed over her Mother (who was now looking very scared.) "Things are not ok Mother….But they will be soon….I promise." Suddenly she spun around and looked straight at Fidelis. It was like she had become a completely different person. There was a wild look in her eyes. Her face was flushing furiously. Saliva was running down her mouth and her breathing had become long and heavy. "This is my chance!" Daniela announced excitedly. She pointed a shaking hand at the old man. "Pixies! Hold him down!"

There was hesitation. They didn't want to turn on their leader, that much I knew. But the nut case seemed to have control over the Pixies as well. After a brief struggle, they lost control of their bodies and pulled him to the ground, holding him down as he struggled under their combined weight. "What are you doing?" Fidelis shouted furiously, "Protect your Queen!" "I'm sorry Fidelis," Came Tiff's voice "but we have to obey our master."

Yusha dropped onto my chest with tears in her eyes. "Do something!" She pleaded. "I-I can't move!" was my response. I actually couldn't move (If I was able to move I would have been out of here by now!) The situation was getting pretty serious. Which is why I was quite surprised to see Ceana rising from her throne with an uncharacteristically stern look on her face. "Young lady!" She scolded, "This behaviour is unacceptable!" She then pointed a finger to a door on her right. "Go to your room and think about what you have done!" (….we're doomed.)

Her Mother's words appeared to have snapped Daniela out of her little episode. But I could tell she wasn't going to stop after coming this far. Whatever she was planning to do, she was going to do it now. She turned around and looked up to the Imps who were still circling above. "Girls….begin the ritual." A dozen very excited Imps swooped down and began tearing the girl's clothes away until they were both completely naked. The rest of them landed on the ground and formed a circle around them.

The Imps….did things to each other (it looked more like a peep show than a ritual if I'm honest with you.) In any case, their ceremonial foreplay produced some weird purple stuff to pour from their bodies like smoke. Congregating above their heads and forming into a very creepy looking cloud. "W-what's happening?" Ceana whimpered feebly. Her daughter smiled wickedly and answered, "This is the beginning….of a new world."

Daniela then rose her hands into the air and made a sweeping motion. Pulling the demonic cloud towards the orb of light. In a matter of seconds, the blinding light was completely encased by the dark cloud and the entire room went dark. "Daniela!" Fidelis suddenly called out, "Your Mother's life force is connected to that light! If you tamper with it she might die!" That didn't sound good. I didn't actually know that bit of information (though I guess stuff like that would be best kept a secret.)

Ceana was now curled up in a ball, sobbing uncontrollably like a child lost in the woods. Daniela lowered her arms and sat down next to her Mother. The next thing she did was quite unexpected. She pulled her Mother into a tight embrace and stroked her hair until she calmed down a little (talk about reversing roles.) "Don't be afraid Mother." Her Daughter said soothingly, "I'm just going to….make some changes."

After that, she kissed her. Right on the fracking lips! Naturally, Ceana jumped back in surprise. But her Daughter pushed her down and kissed her again, only much more passionately this time. Ceana tried to break free, but her daughter seemed to have no trouble overpowering her. Unable to fight back, Ceana eventually conceded and started kissing her back. Things escalated rather quickly after that (and that's putting it politely.)

Rather than watching them like some pervy teenager (which, I guess I already am,) I decided to focus my attention on the purple cloud above them as it started doing something rather strange. It started to pulse...like a heart? Let's just go with that, ok? It was as if the orb within was exploding repeatedly in a bid to break free. But every time it did so, the cloud would just absorb the shockwave and expand with a rumble that resembled thunder. It also started to glow in a few places. Lighting the room up in an ominous hue of purple as the girl's moans intensified. I could feel it. That horribly familiar sensation was beginning to take a hold of my body and mind. I hated it. It made me feel tainted and weak. It was demonic energy.

Fidelis continued to struggle as the Pixies obediently held him down. Yusha decided to bury her face into my neck and sob like a useless little baby. And I still couldn't move because of the stupid duel earlier. I guess this was the Chief Gods way of punishing me for sticking my big nose into other people's business. Oh well. All I could do was watch the show and hope I don't get fucked by someone. The funny thing is, despite everything, I still had the scarf covering my face. It made breathing a little difficult, but it did provide me some protection from the bonifying fumes floating in the air above.

It got to a point where Ceana and Daniela were screaming with ecstasy. The explosions coming from within the cloud were now so intense, the whole castle seemed to be shaking. Eventually, it could take no more. Just as the two of them were about to climax, water….well, something resembling water poured down onto the two girls like rain. I didn't really want to look at what was going on. But I'm sure you'd be a little curious yourself (so don't judge me!)

As the two of them got soaked in the demonic fluids, their bodies began to glow brightly. The raining stopped after only a few moments and the two girls rematerialized. Allowing me to see what had happened. They had transformed. Their beautiful fairy wings were now more batlike in appearance. Two small horns poked out of their foreheads and down below, they each had a pointed tail. They weren't Titania's anymore. They were Succubus. The only thing that remained was the patterns from their wings. Except now they decorated their bodies like tattoos. In the air, the cloud had completely evaporated. But now the orb of light had gone purple. Easier on the eyes. But creepy as all hell.

By now Fidelis has ceased his struggling. But he still looked very concerned about the wellbeing of his family. Yusha was still sobbing into my neck (getting very wet over here.) And as for the Queen. She was cuddling with her daughter. A blissful look her on both their faces. It was all making sense now. Daniela wanted to join sides with the demon lord by corrupting herself and her Mother with demonic energy. She might not be the Queen, but she would have no trouble keeping her under control using her body. She pretty much had the run of the place.

Daniela whispered something into her Mother's ear. Ceana simply responded with a nod, followed by a kiss. From the looks of things, I'd say her plan went perfectly. But then, Ceana started to lose her breath. "Mother….are you ok? Ceana tried to say something, but her words got caught in her throat as she fell to her knees. "NO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER!" Fidelis screamed out. "I….I…." The princess didn't know what to do. She spun around and yelled out to the Imps "What's happening to her!? Help her!" But the Imps were no help. They just started to panic. "What the hell's going on!?" "Don't ask me! I got no fuckin clue!" "Is she going to be ok?" "We didn't want to kill her….did we?"

Fidelis was now using every ounce of his strength to pull himself free. But the Pixies kept holding them down as their master had not yet given them new orders. "PLEASE! LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" Ceana was now on the ground and no longer breathing. Tears poured from Daniela's eyes as she tried in vain to keep her Mother conscious. "Mother! Mother! Please don't die Mother!"

I tried to get up. But as soon as I sat up my head spun horribly and I fell back to the ground. Yusha somehow overcame her fears and flew over to a dying Ceana. "I'm sorry my Queen!" She sobbed "I'm so sorry!" Eventually, Ceana closed her eyes. And slumped into her Daughters arms. "Mother? Mother!? MOTHER!"


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: A Light In The Darkness

I was lying on a mattress with a soft pillow supporting my head. My eyes were still closed. I felt a little stiff in a few places. But overall, I was happy and relaxed. I gave my entire body a good, long stretch before settling back down again to continue my blissful slumber. But that ended in a matter of seconds when I launched myself into a sitting position. This wasn't my bed. This wasn't my house. I wasn't even in the same bloody dimension!

Scanning my surroundings, I realized I was in an infirmary. It was quite roomy. Dozens of beds of various sizes sat in rows along the walls. Said walls were decorated with strange posters that said things such as 'Hang In There' and 'A Smile A Day, Keeps The Cold Away.' A few small windows allowed some sunlight inside the room. Giving the place a safe and cosy atmosphere. A few of the beds were already occupied by some Fairies and Imps who appeared to have eaten too many lollies. They seemed rather busy rubbing their sore bellies so I just stayed there. Trying to remember what had happened earlier.

Everything started coming back to me. Amina getting hurt. Travelling to the Fairy Kingdom. The duel with Fidelis. Daniela going bat shit crazy. Ceana….dying. I closed my eye tight and balled up my hands into fists. Ceana was an airheaded pinkaholic who I didn't know on a personal level (thank Asger for that.) But she seemed to have genuinely cared about everyone around her. And for her to die like that. At the hands of her own daughter. Accident or no accident. She was murdered.

I remember seeing her body disintegrate into dust that glowed a bright shade of pink. Floating high into the air before fading away into the void. I started losing consciousness at that point. But before I passed out, I heard Daniela say something. "Inform Freyja….of our victory….Vila is now under the protection….of the Mamonon Empire."

"An Empire?" I muttered to myself. That doesn't sound good. And who is Freyja? Nothing was making sense. In fact. How did Ceana die in the first place!? I was so deep in thought I failed to realize a Fairy had approached me until she spoke. "Um….excuse me." I managed to hold back a scream as jumped to my feet out of reflex. The poor girl wasn't expecting this and flew back with an "Eeep!" I instantly regrated my actions and clasped my hands together much like Ceana had done when she was talking to Yusha. "I am so sorry for scaring you! You just startled me!"

The little Fairy poked her head out from the bed she was hiding under and regarded me. Eventually, she worked up the courage to approach me again. But as she got closer, I noticed her cheeks were starting to flush. "Th-that's ok." She responded shyly "I g-get a little nervous when I'm around b-big people." I couldn't really blame her for feeling that way (I'd be scared too if I had to talk to someone more than a hundred times my size!)

The young Girl looked cute, even for a Fairy (and most Fairies are fracking adorable!) She had straight silver hair that reached down to her shoulders. Her wings were white, peppered with splotches that came in various shapes and colours. Her eyes were large and icy blue in colour. And She wore a white lily for a dress that hugged her small frame.

She was pretty. Beautiful even. She looked kinda like a snowflake glowing in the light of the sun. She was Lovely and pure. But at the same time fragile and defenceless. I wanted to hold her. But I was afraid that If I did, she would break the moment I laid a finger upon her delicate form. Was I under some kind of spell? Or was this the thing they called infatuation? Love? (Did you hit your head mate?)

(Just ask her where Amina is and get the hell out of here.) "What is your name?" (why do I even bother?) The young girl looked away from me and fiddled with her hair as she tried to answer my question. "M-my name….my name…." I couldn't help but lean forward and smile teasingly at the shy Fairy. "Yeeees?" That did the trick. She failed to stop herself from smiling at my lame teasing and her mood brightened considerably.

"My name is Ren!" She answered confidently. Maybe a little too confidently. Everyone looked our way for a moment to see what was causing all the ruckus. The unwanted attention started to revert Ren back to her old self. But I didn't want things to get anymore awkward than they already were, so I tried to keep the ball rolling. "Nice to meet you Ren." I greeted warmly, "My name is Bain." "I-I've heard about you Bain." I couldn't help but lean back and cross my arms with a big grin on my face. "You have?" I asked smugly. "Yeah!" She answered excitedly. "You got beat up by Fidelis yesterday!" My pride disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

Ren quickly realized her mistake and apologized immediately. It wasn't the fact I got punched in the nose (surprised the old bastard didn't break it) that's made me the talk of the castle. It's because I had put on a good show and came very close to beating him in a fair fight! I didn't mind having my name spread around in such a positive way. But wouldn't the news of their Queens death have greatly overshadowed my little duel with their knight? Maybe Ceana didn't die after all (could've just dreamed it!) "So, is Ceana ok?" It was a bad call. Ren, along with every other Fairy in the room burst into tears. "No! She is not ok!" Ren wept. "She's dead!" Sobbed another. "Our Mother is dead!" (Way to fuckin go Bain!)

I already knew that Ceana wasn't their Mother, per se. But no doubt she has spent time with quite a few them. Playing games. Singing songs. Reading bed time stories. Basically, did everything you'd expect a Mother to do for her children. I guess they couldn't cope with the news of her death. They needed something. Anything to distract themselves with. I guess a few individuals chose me to be that distraction.

"Oi! Keep the noise down!" I looked over to where the voice was coming from and saw a very chubby Imp with her hands over her ears. "Get over it already!" Joined her friend. They were lying down on a bed together just opposite us. Ren was, surprisingly, the first to respond. "How can you be so cold!?" The two Imps smiled wickedly. "Very easily actually." The chubby one sneered. "She's not our Mother." The other added.

I was just about ready to give those two little brats an earful. But instead, Ren flew over to their bed. Her face was blazing red again. Not with embarrassment, but fury. "How dare you talk about her like that!" The smaller Imp managed to pull herself to her feet despite her bulging stomach. "We'll talk about her any….way….we….oh." The two girls were now surrounded by a dozen very angry looking Fairies. "W-whatever!" The Imp quickly snapped. She plopped back down onto her bed and the two of them closed their eyes. Doing their best to ignore the death stares everyone was still giving them.

"That will do girls!" Came a familiar voice. It was Tiff. She was hovering just by the door. Next to her was a Fairy who….looked very familiar. "You're the one that took care of Amina, right?" She just answered with a smile and nod (was she a mute?) "Amina is no longer in the castle." Tiff interjected. "We had to escort out of the castle when her wounds were healed." "As ordered by your new Queen, I presume?" Ren inquired with a hint of sarcasm. " As ordered by OUR new Queen." The Pixie corrected firmly. Ren just shot her a glare and left the room with a little stride to her movements (these girls are something else!)

After ordering everyone to return to their beds, Tiff Lead me out of the infirmary and along the corridors. Already I could see a change in decoration. I preferred the darker colours. But I didn't like the change in the atmosphere. It didn't feel like a happy, cheerful place anymore. Everyone we passed seemed to be minding their own business. Going about their daily lives with less enthusiasm than I remembered. The mood was very different however, at our destination.

The orb of light was still floating in the great hall. And it still glowed that ominous shade of purple. Its energy rippled throughout the entire room. I felt it's effects the moment I stepped inside. But it felt different this time. It made me feel energized and alert. My entire body felt warm and sensitive. It was just like the time Gamila hugged me back at the mansion. It felt more developed. More mature. And to make matters worse, I no longer had my scarf to breath through.

Aside from Tiff, there were no Fairies or Pixies in the room. Only Imps. Singing, eating, drinking and partaking in disgusting games as they celebrated their recent victory. Daniela was on the throne, talking to a few of her followers as we approached her. "Yes, yes….we will have men in our halls….soon enough." One of the Imps saw me and squealed with joy. "What about him!? Can we have him!?" Daniela looked at me expectantly. "That all depends on….if he wishes to…." "No." I interrupted bluntly. There was no way in hell I was going to become their boy toy.

The Imps didn't seem too thrilled with my answer (big surprise there) and were about to mob me when "If that is his decision….then he is free to go." I was relieved, but also surprised by her decision. "Really?" I asked nervously. "Really." Came her response. "I may be a Succubus….But I will not allow my subjects….to rape men in my castle." Many of the Imps grumbled and sulked in response to this. But none dared to defy their mistress and chose not to press the subject any further.

Despite her kind gesture. There were so many things. So many horrible things I wanted to say to her. I hated her. Not because she had turned into a Succubus. But because of the pain she has caused so many people around her. Yusha dragged me here because she could see the Fairy Kingdom was falling apart before her very eyes. But now, the situation has reached a whole other level. Despite all that. I knew better than to anger a Queen who had a few screws loose in her head. Which is why I held my tongue, and moved on to a more pressing matter.

"Fidelis and Yusha." Daniela narrowed her eyes. "What….about them?" I took a step forward and raised the tone of my voice. "Where are they?" Daniela jumped to her feet and screamed "Those two are MY property! In MY kingdom! In MY lands!" "Is that right?" I responded calmly (fuck that scared me!) "It may be true that they are safe here. But are they here on their own free will?" Daniela took a deep breath before returning to her seat. "Yusha….is a traitor and a risk to my kingdom….And Fidelisis my champion….sworn to protect me….until death." It made sense. But that didn't mean I was ok with it!

" Well, I'm not leaving without them!" I announced confidently (what did you just say?) "Is that so?" She asked with a sneer. (No! Just cut your losses, and get out of there!) "Yes. That is so." (You son of a bitch!) Daniela clasped her hands together and giggled. "Very well then Bain….From this day forth….You are mine….forever."


	21. Bains's Journal:Time To Take Flight

Bain's Journal: Time To Take Flight

 **The following texts were written by me during my 'stay' at Vila. My handwritings pretty simple and easy to read. But maybe that's a bad thing….I don't want anyone to read this!**

 **Note to self: Destroy journal when….or if I get out of this crazy joint.**

14th day of Summer's Fading

Dawn Era 745

Day three in the dungeon and I am bored shitless! Asked Tiff (who had been demoted to jailor) for something to keep myself entertained. And all I get is an old notebook and a few pencils! Figured if I spent my time writing about every stupid little thing that happens, I would be able to hold onto a little of my sanity until I get out of here.

Now, I would like nothing more than to help Fidelis and Yusha get away from this messed up place. But maybe I could've gone about it a little differently. Getting locked up and put under constant guard doesn't really sound like a good start to my master plan. But I'll figure something out! At least I don't have to worry about being pestered by Amina for a while.

15th day of Summer's Fading

Dawn Era 745

Ren visited me again today. Despite their differences, she's one of the few people Tiff lets inside to see me. We just talk about stuff. Keeps us both happy and distracted from everything going on. But Tiff only lets her stay for a few minutes and I find myself alone again in my cell (Tiff is not much of a talker.)

Quite a few of the castles residents have tried to see me as well. But most of them just wanted to gawk at the 'one-eyed warrior'. Others were hoping to 'play' with me. Thank Asger I have Tiff to keep them all away. From the looks of it, the Imps only behave themselves when Daniela is around. I'll have to be careful in the future.

16th day of Summer's Fading

Dawn Era 745

Yep! Another boring day has arrived! I have a lumpy bed to laze on. Some bars to bang my head against. A hole to crap into. I even have enough space to lie flat on the floor and drool like a brain-dead hick! I'm a proactive boy, who enjoys a proactive lifestyle. So spending my days here has been a blast!

17th day of Summer's Fading

Dawn Era 745

Ren! Sweet, lovely Ren had a surprise for me today! The little angel entered my cell with some lollies in her arms for us to eat together! I pulled her into an embrace without thinking and her face went red as a tomato. I couldn't help it. I hadn't tasted anything other than porridge and ham soup since day one! While we were eating, Ren told me the other Fairies are starting to recover from their Queens sudden death. But their still angry. Very angry. This might work to my advantage.

18th day of Summer's Fading

Dawn Era 745

I'm bored. So very, very bored. So bored in fact, Tiff suggested I write a song about it. I know she didn't actually mean it, but I really needed to pass the time. So, I did just as she asked and wrote a song about my boredom. Imagine a trombone creating a bouncy tune to the following words.

"Bored, bored, I am bored. Bored, bored, so very bored."

"Bored, bored, all night and day. Oh lord I'm bored in every way."

"Bored. Bored, I am bored. Bored, bored, so very bored."

"Bored, bored, come what may. I'll be bored, every day."

"Here I stand, in a cell. Might as well just burn in hell."

"Here I eat, I shit, I sleep. But soon I'm gonna cry and weep."

Bored, bored, I am bored. Bored, bored, so very bored.

Bored, bored, come what may. I'll be bored, every day."

"come my friends, help me out. Else I'll give a scream and shout."

"I'm all alone. No one here. I do have Tiff, but she's so queer."

"Bored, bored, I am bored. Bored, bored, so very bored."

"Bored, bored, all night and day. Oh lord I'm bored in every way!"

"Ha ha! Hey hey!"

"Bored, bored, bored, bored. Bored, bored, so very(drum role for a few seconds) bored!"

How was that!? Creative? Catchy? Repetitive? Tiff didn't seem to like it. Especially when I sang it to her at least fifty times before I lost my voice and collapsed on my bed to rest. Most fun I've had all week!

19th day of Summer's Fading

Dawn Era 745

Guess what happened today. They let me out. They let me out of my cell! YES!

Daniela asked me if I still wanted to stay here. I said "Yes."

Then she asked me if I wanted to become her personal slave. I said "No."

She wasn't too happy with that. Now I live in the kitchens with a bunch of cooks and scullery maids. A lot of them were once close friends with Ceana and of high status. Until Daniela killed her and forced them to help cook everyone's meals. Understandably, they were not happy with this. I actually had a lot of fun today (despite a few grumbles and groans from a few very grumpy staff members.) I still have Tiff watching me closely. But I was kept busy. I had decent people to talk to. And best of all. There was plenty of food to eat.

20th day of Summer's Fading

Dawn Era 745

A dozen Imps paid us a visit today. They were just bored and wanted to cause trouble. Food was thrown around. Dishes were smashed. A few of the staff members were even violated. It's a good thing Tiff heard them approaching. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had enough time to hide in one of the draws. Tiff knew she wouldn't have been able to drive the invaders away and keep me safe at the same time (strong and tough as she may be.) I'm actually glad she's around to keep me safe. Kinda awkward having her sleeping on my chest though.

21st day of Summer's Fading

Dawn Era 745

Daniela heard about what had happened yesterday and made the kitchens off limits to all non-staff members. That was good because it kept the more troublesome Imps away. It also prevented Ren from visiting me. But that's the least of my worries.

No one knows where Yusha or Fidelis are. It would bring me comfort to know if they are at least alive and well. Fidelis shouldn't be in any danger. But I am worried about little Yusha. Daniela might have her executed….or worse.

22nd day of Summer's Fading

Dawn Era 745

I've had a little talk with everyone. No one's happy with the way things are. We all want Daniela and her Imps gone. And we want Vila to be a demonic energy free zone. Even the Pixies (including Tiff) and a few Imps wanted things to go back to the way they were. There have also been whispers outside the kitchens. And they all seem to be talking about the same thing. A revolution.

This could actually work. If we somehow prevented Daniela from interfering, the Pixies and renegade Imps could help the Fairies take control of the castle by forcing all her followers out. But what about the orb? Will it stay like that? Will it always have a presence here in Vila? Who would take over? And what would we do with Daniela?

This proved to be too much for us to think over in one day. So we decided to just turn in and think of a plan tomorrow.

By the way. I wonder if Amina's ok. Eh, she'll be alright.

23rd day of Summer's Fading

Dawn Era 745

We took too long coming up with a plan. Way too long. Daniela caught wind of our scheming and had me removed from my post and put into her personal chambers. It's a good thing she didn't take an interest in my journal. She's even letting me hold onto it! Not that it will give me much comfort in this place. I'm not sure what's worse. Being chained to a pillar like a dog. Or wearing black leather tights that's chapping my balls like you wouldn't believe.

I have never felt so degraded and humiliated in all my life. Thank the gods no one will ever read this. Ever! There is some good news though. I am now under the watchful eye of Fidelis. Yes. Fidelis. Daniela has been keeping him here since the incident. He's changed quite a bit since then. He looks old, and tired. But he's happy to see me again. And he's willing to help us any way he can.

Daniela has made a big mistake putting the two of us together. In a few days we'll have a plan. And Daniela will be at or mercy.


	22. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Just you And Me

Daniela burst through her chamber doors and fell onto her bed with an exhausted moan. The young Tita….Succubus was not adjusting well to her new responsibilities. I didn't really know what she had to deal with in her everyday life (she didn't like talking about work,) but even a Demonic being such as herself would struggle to keep so many Imps in check. Fidelis closed the door like he always did and made his way towards his daughter who was now taking off her clothes. What Daniela failed to notice was the door hadn't been locked like it was supposed to be. "Another long day, my dear?" Fidelis asked with a gentle smile. "Like you wouldn't believe." She answered sleepily.

When the last of her clothing was pulled off her bountiful frame, she ritualistically rolled onto her stomach and gave me a teasing smile. "So….who will be joining me tonight?" Like always, she looked good. Tempting even. But just like every other night, I spun myself around and started drawing random shit into my journal. Daniela just sighed and pulled the old man into her bed. This had been going on for four days now. Every night she would have sex with Fidelis (yuck,) and I would try to distract myself from the noises with my amateurish drawings. I thought it best not to write anything else in my journal in case Daniela decided to have a little read (can't be too careful.)

I was not enjoying my stay here. At least Fidelis was always around to tell me some stories about his younger years. He had travelled to the Fairy Kingdom for the first time when he was about the same age as me. He had no home or family at the time. Nor did he have any plans for the future. That's why Ceana adopted him into the royal family and offered him a knighthood. But he wasn't too sure he was qualified (big surprise there,) so he took some of her money and spent several years travelling the world in search of any swordsman who would be willing to teach him the tricks of the trade. He eventually returned home and, now a grown man, had no issues starting a sexual relationship with his Queen (I'm just glad he left out the details.)

When Daniela isn't around, Fidelis would unlock my chain so I could stretch my legs and use the privy. You can imagine the look on my face when I saw Tiff squeezing herself through the bars of the window on one particular day. As the former captain of the guards, Tiff knew every inch of the castle. We now had a messenger and a way inside for our friends. And after formulating a plan….we were ready.

Daniela's 'fun time' with her Father was soon interrupted when at least ten Fairies (lead by Ren) flew into the room and encircled them. All together they shouted "Proxime! Circum! Claustra!" and a in a matter of seconds their bed was surrounded by a magical barrier that shone a bright shade of blue. Daniela quickly jumped to her feet and went absolutely crazy. "What is the MEANING of this!" "From the looks of it," Ren responded slyly "your about to be dethroned….your majesty." "We shall see about THAT!" Daniela spat furiously. "GUARDS! SEIZE THEM!"

The doors swung open. But to the Queens great surprise they were not Imps. But even more Fairies. Let me explain how this door works. When you lock it, only a select few can open it from the outside (the royal guards are an example.) But because Fidelis didn't lock the door….you get the idea. From where I was sitting I could see the guards had been knocked out by sleeping powder just as Tiff had planned. And the sounds of screams and small explosions echoing in the distance indicated the battle was now well under way.

Daniela did not possess the power to break through the barrier. And being so far away from the battle meant she couldn't assist her followers. She had lost. And she knew it. The Queen crumpled onto her mattress and began to sob loudly. "No! No! I am….the Queen!" Fidelis quickly pulled her towards him and held her tightly to comfort her. He had already told he didn't want to take part in the fight. He didn't even care who would rule Vila. He just wanted to be with his daughter and help her regain some of her sanity (I think a therapist would be a good idea.)

Ren flew over and hugged my cheek. "Did you miss me big boy?" I didn't really know how to respond to that, so I just cleared my throat and pointed a finger at the collar I was wearing. "Prima….Luce….Vincula!" The collar around my neck turned to dust in a matter of seconds and I was free….well, almost. "Don't suppose you could conjure me some more….comfortable clothing?" Ren and a few of her friends giggled childishly. "We have your old clothes outside waiting for you!"

I exchanged nods with Fidelis before leaving the room. And sure enough, my clothes, and even my bow were on the floor in a neat pile. I didn't really care if Ren and a few girls were watching. I just ripped off the horrible leather and pulled on my much more comfortable traveling garments. Ignoring the girls whispering, I swung my quiver over my shoulders and picked up my bow (I missed you so much old friend.) "You guys ready?" "W-were ready!" Responded a red-faced Ren.

The Battle was very different to what I had expected it to be. Sure, Tiff said quite a number of Vila's residents as well as a few outsiders were going to help us out. But the number of them far exceeded my expectations. The whole castle was filled with Fairies, Pixies and even a few Imps who had painted their bodies blue and pink to distinguish themselves as allies. And they fought their heavily outnumbered opponents with an unmatchable fury. There was pinching, slapping, hair pulling and even some spell casting (Though the fire balls and lightning bolts were feeble and inaccurate.)

I realized I was not needed here and beckoned Ren over to me. "Do you know where Yusha is being kept?" Ren pointed down one of the corridors. "There are some stairs that will take you up to the tower. She might be in there." I just couldn't stop myself. I smiled and said in a heroic voice, " Then let's go rescue the Princess!" It took Ren a moment to realize what I had just said. "Ren's a Princess?" I was a little surprised (and disappointed) Ren didn't understand the situation we were in. "Sure she is! I mean, she's probably the most qualified. Don't you think?" After some thinking, Ren flashed me a smile and sat down on my shoulder. With a tiny fist raised into the air she cried out excitedly. "Your right! She is a Princess! Let's go save her, One-eye!"

I sped down the hall as fast as my legs could carry me. Dodging and weaving as the fighting continued all around us. Some of the Imps were already retreating. Others chose to sit down and cry like babies. Screaming "I surrender! Don't hurt me!" I was happy to see things were going so well. By tomorrow the castle should be ours. And I'll finally be able to continue my search for Sherwin!

It didn't take us long to find the stairs Ren was talking about. But climbing them….was an entirely different matter. "C'mon Bain! Keep going!" My little companion urged on. "That's easy for you to say!" I huffed, "You're not the one that's doing the climbing!" I could not believe Ren didn't know any levitation spells! That sort of stuff is supposed to be standard for goodness sake! A few minutes (and at least a gallon of sweat) later, we finally reached the door.

Now, I'm not very experienced in rescuing Princesses from towers. But usually the hero opens the door to find her locked up and guarded by some freaky ass monster or sorcerer. Sure, monsters aren't what they used to be. But I wasn't going to take any chances. I pulled out an arrow and held my bow at the ready. Ren nervously grabbed a hold of the handle and twisted it until it was open by just a fraction. She quickly moved away and I kicked it the rest of the way open with a great 'bang!'

The room was empty. That's what it looked like anyways. The wooden floor panels creaked and groaned under the weight of my steps. There were no candles. But a few windows allowed some moonlight inside. Giving the place an ominous glow. Said windows also allowed a cold breeze to blow through. It made a horrible Howling sound that echoed all around us. This place gave me the creeps.

But then I heard something else. A soft, metallic sound that came from above. It reminded me of a wind chime my Father made a few years ago. "Bain….?" Ren whispered into my ear. "I know." I whispered back. I slowly raised my head into the air to see what above us. Imagine this. Hundreds of old rusted chains with little metal boxes at the ends of them hanging from the ceiling like bird cages. They all had these little holes poked into them. The wind made them clatter and howl in unison with one another. Producing a melody that made my skin crawl. I couldn't see any doors or locks on them. But I could tell these were built to contain small creatures. Contain….and torment indefinitely.

"I'm scared." Ren whimpered. "yeah….me too." The door suddenly slammed shut behind us and Ren screamed loudly into my ear. I responded by jumping back and falling hard onto the floor. With the door now closed, there was less light in the room for me to see with. But that didn't bother me. It was the voices that had me spooked.

"Look sister! He fell over!" Came one voice. "Aww! Poor little guy!" Followed another. "Should we give him a hug?" "I think we should!" I had no clue who, what, or where these girls were. But one thing was certain.

I was in big trouble.


	23. Chapter 21

Chapter21: Against The World

In seconds I was back on my feet and scanning my surroundings for the source of the voices (They were nowhere to be seen!) Where the fuck was my bow? (On the ground!) I was just about to make a dash for my weapon when something came crashing down on me from above. I landed flat of my face and gave a painful moan as the assailant laid down on top of me and started to nuzzle the back of my neck. "Mmmnnnn!" Came a childlike voice. "Does that feel better now?" "I appreciate the thought." I grumbled "But the landing could have been better.

"I agree." Came another's voice. Followed by the sound of feet landing softly on the ground in front of me. I pulled myself up into a sitting position (with the first one still clinging to my back) and realized they were Werebats. Bat like ears stuck out of her messy hair, which was dark grey in colour and reached down to her shoulders. Her eyes were a little large for her face, while her nose was almost non-existent. And poking out of her mouth were a small set of fangs. All she had on was a mouldy piece of cloth which she had wrapped around her waist to hide her nether regions (but still showed a lot of skin.) Werebats are naturally small and youthful in appearance. But this one seemed to only be in her teens. Despite that. Her wings were quite large (and a little creepy.)

"Irma! It's my turn to hug him!" The grip Irma had on my cloak tightened slightly. "Nooooo! I just started hugging him!" Her sister gave a small grumble before shouting "Fine! We'll share him!" Before I could even get a word in, she was on my lap with her head pressed tenderly against my chest. An awkward silence followed as the three of us just stayed like that for a few moments. I could hear Irma taking a long whiff of my hair as she clung to my back (very creepy!) The other seemed to be listening to my heart beat with a blissful smile on her face (a little too intimate for my liking!) What worried me most however was the absence of my dungeon buddie, Ren. I was concerned I had crushed her when I fell over (twice) earlier. But she didn't seem to be here anymore. Was she hiding?

"Soooo….Who are you guys?" The Werebat on my lap blushed slightly as she tried to answer my question. "M-my name…." "My name is Irma!" Irma interrupted loudly. This was followed by a peck on the cheek and a giggle. This seemed to anger her sister greatly. After taking a big breath, she wrapped her wings around my neck and shouted "My name is Sora! And I am very happy to meet you!" She then rushed forward and pecked me on the lips. It took a moment for us both to realize what had just happened. Sora pulled away from me with a startled "Eeep!" and wrapped her wings over her head so I wouldn't see her blushing. A strange humming sound escaped my lips and I had to place a hand over them to make it stop.

It didn't freak me out. I think it just surprised me. I knew something like that was going to happen eventually. I just wasn't expecting it to happen here of all places! Would that even count as my first kiss? It was just a peck after all. Maybe I'm over thinking it. I don't think she intended to cause me any harm. So, I guess I should be thankful it was from someone half decent (who wasn't trying to rape me.)

"Ummm….Thank you!" I said in a high voice. "I'm very happy to meet you as well!" Despite the situation, I could tell I was in no immediate danger. I rose to my feet again and pulled Irma off my back and held her out to have a proper look at her (which was quite easy given how light she was.) She was tiny. Barely four feet tall with a childlike frame that made her look to be about ten or eleven years of age. Her hair was a little lighter in colour than her sisters and much shorter in length. Her features appeared to be a little softer as well (though that may be due to the age difference.) She was also naked. Something we both seemed to be aware of.

"Checking out my body, are you?" She asked teasingly. I instantly dropped her to the ground and approached Sora, who appeared to have regained her composure. "My name is Bain. I'm here because I'm looking for someone." Sora tilted her head in confusion. "Looking for someone? But we're the only ones up here." Irma suddenly threw herself at her sister and grabbed a hold of her waist. "You must be looking for wives! Well, look no further!" She then started to….to fondle….her sisters….(shit!)

"Now, I know what you're thinking." She continued "But as you can see here, size doesn't really matter as long as you know how to handle them!" I could see. I could see very well (stop looking.) And I'll tell you right now. The girl really knew how to sell it (stop looking!) But I think it was Sora's reaction I liked most. The adorable expressions on her face portrayed a combination of anger, embarrassment, and pleasure as she whimpered and gasped whilst her sister continued to molest her (I said stop looking god damn it!)

But Irma wasn't finished. She then reached down and started to pull her sisters loin cloth away (I'm begging you! Look away!) "But that's….not….all….What are you doing?" That was all I could handle. My conscience finally got through to me and I spun myself around before I could see any more of her (thank you!)

"I'm not here for a wife." I explained as calmly as I possibly could. "I'm here, to rescue a prisoner." No response came. This concerned me. I turned around to see what their reactions were. And I could tell just by looking at them I had made a bad call. Tears were pouring from Sora's eyes as she held a hand over her heart as if it were about to break. "Is this true?" She gasped, "Do you speak the truth?" For once, Irma looked very uncomfortable and turned to her sister. "Doesn't this mean we have to kill him?" She whispered nervously (what!?)

Sora took a step forward and shouted, "Is this true!" Irma and I both jumped back in shock. "W-well, yes! It is true!" I answered defensively. Irma positioned herself between the two of us and threw her hands into the air. "He hasn't actually tried to do anything yet sis! We don't have any reason to hurt him!" Sora ignored this and pushed her aside and took another step towards me.

"We have spent our entire lives watching over this place in the name of our Queen! A woman we have never even met before!" She took more steps towards me as she continued her rant. Her voice becoming shakier with every step. "We promised our late Mother we would continue her work until our last, dying breath! And that means killing any jail breakers!" She was now standing right in front of me with her wings outstretched. This made her look like something you would see in a nightmare! "Please," She said more softly, "don't make us hurt you."

(Don't panic Bain. Don't panic! Don't do anything stupid and we might be able to get out of here in one piece.) "Bain! I have her! I have Yusha!" All three of us looked up to the cages and saw Ren flying down with what looked like another Fairy in her arms (Yep! That will do it!) Thankfully, I was the first to respond. Before Sora could even blink I was holding her down screaming "REN! THE DOOR!" Ren understood the situation we were in and started making her way to the door. But with Yusha weighing her down, she wasn't going very fast. In a matter of seconds Sora was on her feet and with a mighty flick of her wings I was on the ground (again!)

"Sora! Stop!" Irma cried out frantically. But her sister continued to close in on my little Fairy friends with her claws outstretched and ready to go. Things looked pretty bad. But Ren had a plan. Just as Sora was about to have them in her claws, Ren Shouted "Et, Erit, Lux!" A flash of light blinded and disoriented the assailant as she fell to the floor screaming. Irma was also on the floor rubbing her eyes and moaning as I pulled myself up and quickly readjusted my eyesight with a few blinks (not a bad spell!)

There was no time to lose. I picked up my bow and was making my way to the door when "Bain? Please Don't go." It was Irma. She was still unable to see anything. But she knew we were Leaving. And if the tears in her eyes were any indication. She didn't want me to. It hurt. It really did. But I couldn't stay here. Without looking back, I gave the handle a turn and pulled it open. The three of us left the room and with a heavy heart, I closed the door behind me.


	24. Chapter 22

Chapter22: Off Ya Ear

Ren and I sped down the spiralling staircase as fast as my legs and her wings could carry us. In a sense, things went perfectly. Ren did an excellent job slipping away to look for Yusha. She managed to find the cage she was being kept in and found a way to open it (you go girl!) We managed to get Ren out of there without suffering any serious injuries (my ass hurt a bit,) and we didn't even have to kill the two Werebats guarding her!

So why did I feel like such a dick? They were nice girls (maybe a little bat shit). But there was no way I was going to spend the rest of my life in such a depressing, little shit hole. I think maybe it was because they reminded me of myself in some ways. For their entire lives they have lived up there. Having no right to come and go as they please. They don't really know anything about the outside world. And have no plans for the future (sad to say, but that's me in a nutshell.) But at least I lived on a massive property with plenty of things to keep me busy. Those two don't have that luxury. The only thing they really have is each other (lame!)

"Bain?" Yusha called back to me, "Do you think they're still chasing us?" "I don't think they even started to in the first place." I answered. Yusha came to a sudden halt, and I had just enough time to catch myself to prevent my face from crashing into her (that would have been painful for both of us!) She then spun around and gave me a rather adorable frown. "Then why the heck are we still running!?" That was a very good question. No one seemed to be following us (I couldn't hear any footsteps from above,) and running this quickly down a flight of stair was dangerous (a stumble could kill me!)

"Point taken." I sighed as I sat myself down onto one of the steps. "Let's take the time to rest and look over Yusha." Ren nodded before landing on my lap. Very carefully, I scooped an unconscious Yusha up with one hand and held her up to my good eye. She was not looking good. She was sickly and pale with bags under her eyes. The lovely water lily she was wearing had been torn in a few places and her hair (which was still in a bun) was dirty, and stuck out in a few places. Actually, scratch that last part. There was dirt all over her!

"Yusha…." I accidently said aloud. Ren heard this and flew onto my shoulder to hug me. "Don't worry big guy!" She emphasized, "Ren's still breathing! And she's a tough little cookie too!" Her words provided me some comfort. But I still couldn't help but feel a little bad for our friend. She dragged me all the way here to try and make things better for everyone. Instead, she gets her friend killed (ouch!) turns the city into a vulgar fun house (double ouch!) and gets locked up in a musical bird box (make it a triple!) With a finger, I gently wiped the grime off her face. There was no response to indicate she was aware of her surroundings. She was out cold. She was going to need medical attention and fast.

"What should we do now?" Ren asked as I pulled the hood off my cloak and wrapped Yusha up like a baby. "I'm going to take her to the infirmary." I answered calmly. "I want you to join the battle (if it's still going on) and help retake the city." Ren flew off my shoulder and folded up her arms. "Once Yusha is taken care of, will you be joining us?" I decided to be honest with her and responded with a simple "No." Ren looked a little hurt at how blunt my answer was. "This isn't really my fight." I explained quickly. "If you guys want your home back you need to fight for it. I've done my part. Now it's time to do yours."

You can call me a selfish cunt if you want (I probably am in some ways.) Sure, a few Imps wouldn't pose a serious threat to me. But that's not the point. These guys need to understand that they can do things on their own. Their small and childish. So what? Everyone is in their own way! It might be just my inner child talking right now. But these guys could do anything if they believed in themselves a little more. "Yeah…" Ren pondered for a moment. Before raising a little fist into the air and saying more confidently "Yeah! I can do this!" And before I could even blink, she was gone. "well, I'm glad that's been settled!" I declared to no one. With Yusha in my hands and my bow hung over my shoulder I continued my way (much more slowly) down the stairs.

By the time I had reached the main floor, the battle inside the castle had pretty much concluded. Fairies and Pixies were rounding up Imps who had surrendered and were putting them inside these strange, transparent orbs. They appeared to be light and pellucid from the outside which made it easy for them to be moved around, but solid enough on the inside to make it impossible for the little Imps to break out of. And it brought me some piece of mind to see no one was seriously injured.

I sped down the corridors and eventually found the door with a sign saying 'Infirmary' nailed onto it. I opened the door and walked inside. Only for the door to suddenly slam shut behind me. The force made by the doors momentum produced a strong gust of wind powerful enough to extinguish all the candles in the room. And for the second time tonight I found myself alone in the dark. The funny thing is. I wasn't the first one to panic.

Only a moment had passed before I found myself in the tight embrace of an unknown woman who was crying out in a very high-pitched voice "What!? Who turned out the lights!? I'm scared of the dark! Someone help meeee!" "Mmmffffppp!Ooommmaaaffff!" I couldn't really say anything because this girl had her….things in my face! "Huh? What did you say?" I managed to pull my face out of her soft parts to scream out "I said get off me and I'll light a candle!" I wasn't really pissed off about the physical contact (she felt quite nice actually.) I was worried I might drop Yusha and accidently stepped on her. "Oh….Ok!"

I searched my cloak clumsily with one hand and thanked the Chief God that some of my flint stones were still inside one of my pockets. I carefully made my way through the room and placed Yusha onto one of the beds. I burnt my hand on some wax in my search for one of the candles and after a few flicks, I was able to light it up again. with the candlestick now in my hands, I could see the stranger was a….very strange person. She was quite tall. At least six-foot-tall and a little on the skinny side. She had pale skin. A fair face. Long, white hair. And eyes that shone bright red in the candle light. She wore nothing but a simple, white gown made from silk. It was also transparent….and she was a very developed lass. "Who the heck are you!?" I asked uneasily, "And what was all that about!?"

The woman quickly regained her composure and leaped forward with a great "Ha-ha!" Only to fall over and land on her face. "Ouchy!" I felt a little bad for her and offered her a hand. When she was back on her feet, she began to rub her massive breasts. "Ow, my boobies hurt!" She whined loudly. I couldn't help but smile at the stupidity of it all. "You should be more careful when walking around in dark rooms." I suggested with a little sarcasm. Her reaction was not what I was expecting. She slumped back down onto the floor with a defeated look on her face. She muttered "Yeah….I suck at this." And then burst into tears (way to go Bain! Way to go!)

I didn't really know what to do in that situation. I looked around desperately for something to calm her down. There were chairs ( useless.) Some beds (she might get the wrong idea.) A few lollypops (perfect!) Some banda….lollypops! "Umm….would you like a lollypop? I offered gently. "A lollypop?" She whimpered "I love lollypops." She sucked on a strawberry flavoured lollypop (it's her favourite flavour) for a few minutes before jumping back to her feet again. "Ah! That's better!" She declared happily. She then returned her attention to me and her face went blank. "…..Oh….yeah….right."

In a split second she was looming over me with a funny scowl on her face "Mortal!" She shouted dramatically "You stand in the presence of I! Freyja! Seventh daughter of the Demon Lord! And Empress of the Mamonon Empire!" She then reached her arm out and held it over my head menacingly. "You are the one my servants speak of, yes? The leader of this rebellion!? The One-eyed swordsman!?" I went into shock. All I could do was stand there with my mouth gaping wide open.

She was (of all fucking things!) a Lilim. Only nine of them are known to exist. But they are powerful. Very powerful! So powerful, they are able to enslave noble, law abiding men with looks alone (so, why aren't we going crazy?) Most of them serve their demonic mother in her quest to fill the world with sex loving monsters. Others, have created their own little dimensions to rule independently. It would not be an exaggeration to say that these monsters have powers that would rival a god! And there is one right in fucking front of me! A clumsy, goofy one at that! But a Lilim none the less!

Neither of us did anything for a while. We just stood there….staring at each other awkwardly. Gradually, Freyja's angry scowl was replaced with a nervous smile. "Ummm…. Are you ok?" She asked timidly. "Yeah….I'm ok…I think." I managed to force out. "So, are you?" She pressed. I quickly realized freaking out wasn't going to make things any better. So I decided to ease the tension in the air the only way I knew how. With a bad joke. I placed my hands on hips and put on a painful grin. "Well, I'm more of an archer than a swordsman." I answered with a small chuckle. It was lame, I know. But it was better than nothing (father would have been proud!)

Freyja placed a hand over her mouth and gasped. "I'm sorry! My servants said you were a swordsman!" (I don't think she got the joke.) "I did….use a sword….to fight Fidelis…." Freyja jumped into the air (jiggle jiggle) and squealed with excitement. "Really!? That's so cool! Did you win!?" I pointed a finger to my eyepatch and flashed her another smile "You tell me." (Two times the charm.) Freyja jumped back and almost broke into tears again. "That's horrible! Are you ok!?" (Ok, no more jokes Bain.) I threw my hands up in surrender. "Y-yeah, I'm fine! I was just joking around!" Freyja tilted her head in confusion. "….Huh?" "I didn't actually lose my eye during the duel." I tried to explain to her in a calm voice. "….Oh….oh! Ahahahaha! Your funny!" For a moment there, I thought I had (finally) succeeded in calming things down. But then she walked up to me and reached for my fracking eyepatch! "So that means you still….have….both….KYAAAAA!"

It took a few more minutes to calm her down again (the process required a dozen apologies and another fracking lollypop!)


	25. Chapter 23

Chapter23: Take Two

Ok. Things have not gone entirely to plan! Sure, Daniela has been safely locked away. The rebel Fairies and their allies have successfully taken the castle (and soon the city) from the Mamonon loyalists. And we were even able to rescue Yusha from her prison cell! But I don't think anyone was expecting the empress herself to make an appearance tonight. I really had no idea what she intended to do with me and my friends. But I did know one thing. I sucked at making first impressions.

Eventually, we got back to the subject at hand. Freyja was now sitting on one of the beds with her hands on her lap in a very ladylike manner. "What right do you think you have to interfere with my work!?" She scolded. "Do you see yourself as some hero or saint!?" In all honesty, I was forced into this mess. But I couldn't tell her that. I knew I had to stand my ground and convince her that what she was doing was wrong (somehow….)

"I should ask you the same thing!" I answered loudly. "This is the Fairy Kingdom! Not the demon realm! The Fairy Kingdom!" I stepped forward and loomed over her much like she had done earlier (what comes around, goes around!) "I'm not sure your aware of this. But a good person was killed because of your ambitions. I'm no hero. But at least I'm not some power-hungry tyrant!" (Might've overdone it there mate.)

Freyja flinched a little before looking away. If the saddened expression on her face was any indication, my words had hit her quite hard. "I know" She whispered (what!?) "I know Ceana is dead because of me and…." Her hands suddenly balled up into fists. Her breathing became heavy and her eyes filled with tears. "No!" she shouted, " I am the one responsible for this!" She then rose to her feet and began to circle me as she unleashed her verbal assault.

"But does that justify what you have done!? I am not a monster who intends to enslave or oppress these Fairies! I wish to culturally uplift them! Do you really think manipulating them into revolting will make everything better!?" When her rage peaked, she grabbed me by the collar and pinned me against the wall. "Do you really think you can stop me!?" That scared me a little (a fracking heap!) She was right though. Having read so many books on historical conflicts and battles, I understood war was never a good solution to anything. And starting a full-scale war with a daughter of the Demon Lord could end very badly for everyone. But there was one thing she did not yet understand.

I took a deep breath, and said simply "I have played only a small part in this uprising." Freyja narrowed her eyes and leaned in until our noses were touching (invading personal space!) "What the hell are you talking about? You challenged the Queen, didn't you? And you planned the coup, right?" It was time to come clean. "No, and no." I then placed my hands onto her shoulders and gently pushed her back. She didn't resist (even though it wouldn't have been very hard) and released her grip on me. I then calmly walked over to where Yusha was resting and carefully scooped her up into my hands.

"I wasn't the one who challenged Ceana for her throne." I continued as I held Yusha up to a baffled Lilim. "It was her." Freyja glanced at the unconscious Fairy before returning her gaze to me. "Who is this? Another one of your puppets?" She then flashed me a cruel smile. "Looks like you haven't been taking very good care of her." (You fucking slut of a whore!) "Yusha!" I snarled. "Her name is Yusha! And she is my friend!" I then fell to my knees and held her to my chest. "She….she…." I couldn't hold it in any longer. I began to cry.

It was different to when I had that childish sob fest with Amina in that alley way. This was not out of frustration or anger. My heart was filled with such sadness and fear I had never felt before. Nothing could stop the tears pouring from my eyes as I held my unconscious friend to my heart. At that moment she was everything to me. And I was losing her. "W-what are you doing!?" Freyja asked nervously . "It's my fault….all my fault." I managed to force out.

"Yusha is a lovely little girl….She's loud and bossy….But she unconditionally loved everyone around her….She knew there would be consequences if things went wrong….But she went for it anyway….She put everything on the line for her friends….She put her complete trust in me." I then looked up and met my eye with hers. "And I failed her! I failed everyone!" Blinded by my own tears, I was unable to see what Freyja's reaction was. Not that I really cared anymore.

With what little strength I had left, I forced myself to my feet and placed my precious cargo back onto her bed before falling to the ground. I felt no pain. There wasn't even an impact. It felt as though I had landed on something warm and soft. I didn't know if Freyja could still hear me. But I made one last attempt to save Yusha. "I don't care what happens to me anymore." I whispered to the darkness. "Just save her. Please, save her."

.

.

.

.

There was blood on my hands. But something was wrong. These were not my hands. They were big, and dirty. They were covered in scratches and bruises. But the one on the left had a massive scar that went from one end of the palm to the other. But then that image was replaced with others. They were moving so fast I could barely keep up with them. An arrow taking flight. Fire in the sky. A crow on a white flag. Then nothing. In the darkness, I could hear a girl's voice. She was so close I could almost feel her breath. She whispered into my ear. "Why? Why?….WHY!?"

My eyes snapped open and I was back in the real world. I was covered in sweat, panting like a dog. The nightmare was unpleasant (and frequent.) But being awake provided me no comfort. I was still in the cave. Her cave. Kat had her arms wrapped tightly around me as she continued to sleep. Purring like a kitten. This felt wrong. It all did. But I was a long way from the farm. It hurt thinking about it. But this was now my home.


	26. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Never Lose Heart

I couldn't help but feel as though I had been in a situation like this not too long ago. I wake up in a nice, soft bed with no idea how I got here. But I feel so happy and content I settle back down again to resume my peaceful slumber. Only to jump to my feet when the memories of last night came pouring in like a river after a storm. But this time, the situation seemed a whole lot worse. "Yusha." I said aloud. And, ignoring the fact I was topless, ran to the door and pulled it open. Without a second to spare, I managed to stop myself from taking another step forward. Why did I stop myself? Because there was a Goblin sleeping at my feet!

"Amina?" My long-lost companion rolled over and opened her eyes. Without hesitation she lunged at me screaming "BAIN!" Next thing I know I'm on my ass (again!) with Amina clinging to me like her life depended on it. And she cried. That's it. She just cried for a while. It was a little awkward. But kinda nice to know she was so worried about me. Seemed strange she was outside my room like that and not in here with me. But then again….Maybe that was a good thing (now you're starting to use your head!)

She then leaned back and gave me one of her heart-attack inducing smiles. "I missed you." She said tenderly. Tears still pouring from her eyes. "I could tell." I responded awkwardly (wonder if Tin Woodman has a spare heart on him….) Amina jumped off me and looked me over with a curious look on her face. "Were you planning on going outside half clothed?" She asked. "Well, I was in a bit of a hurry to….SHIT!"

I jumped to my feet and grabbed Amina by the shoulders a little more tightly than I should have. "What happened last night!?" I shouted frantically. Amina seemed a little shocked by my sudden outburst, but this was an emergency! "Yusha! The Fairies! Freyja! The Uprising! What happened!? Is everyone ok!?" With very little effort, Amina pulled my hands off her shoulders and held them gently in her own. "Relax sweetie!" She answered sweetly "Everyone's fine!" She then began to pull me to the door. "C'mon! I'll show you!" But then paused and blushed a little. "But let's get some clothes on you first."

Once I was properly dressed, Amina led me out the door and down the corridors towards what I was assuming was the great hall (if memory served me correctly.) Everything seemed quiet. A little too quiet. As we continued along, I couldn't help but feel a little pessimistic about the whole thing. Yusha was dying. Freyja had arrived to restore order. And when I tried to stop her, I broke down and lost consciousness. "Are you sure everything's…." Amina turned around and hugged me. "Just trust me Bain." She said tenderly. Eventually, we reached the massive doors I had come to know and fear. The last couple of weeks had been….difficult. And it all started here. I wasn't ready for this. But I knew I had to see things through to the end. So as Amina began to push the doors open. I took a deep breath, and prepared for the worst.

There was a flurry of bright colours. An explosion of screams. And I was soon on my ass (for fucks sake!) being hugged, kissed and pawed by hundreds of Fairies, Pixies and Imps. It was absolutely insane! "It's Him! It's Him!" "Our Hero! The One-eyed swordsman!" "No dummy! He's an archer!" "Who cares! He's saved us all!" "I love you One-eye!" Amina quickly rushed in and shooed everyone away (thank fuck!) "Alright, break it up girls! Break it up!" She yelled out to the frenzied masses. "Let him through! The Queen wants to see him!" That last statement got my attention. "The Queen? Who's the new Queen?" Amina pulled me to my feet and smiled. "Come and have a look!"

The girls in front of us made a path for us to walk through. Hugging and thanking me as we walked by. Was this a dream? It had to be (I don't think so mate!) Above us, I could see the orb of light. Once again illuminating the room with a ridiculously bright glow that hurt my eyes (I guess it could be worse.) A hundred kisses later, we reached the throne. But Tiff and a dozen of her deputies were blocking our way. Tiff flashed me a grin before clearing her throat. "Today, we celebrate a momentous occasion! On this day, Villa has been liberated!" Everyone around us cheered and clapped. "First," Tiff continued, "I would like to introduce to you, our two champions." I could feel my legs starting to shake as she gestured a hand towards me. "I present to you, Bain Kolf-Skot! The one-eyed warrior!"

I turned around and waved nervously at the girls who were now screaming and swooning like I was some world-famous musician (this is so embarrassing!) Amina grabbed my arm and smiled. Somehow, her favourite obsession had become a real deal hero! I then felt someone land on my shoulder and kiss my cheek. "Ren!" My fellow adventurer giggled and winked at me. "Good to see your ok big guy!" Amina squeezed my arm a little (oh boy….) Tiff cleared her throat again before continuing. "And here, we have our second champion. A young lady many of us know and love! I present to you, Ren the Fairy!" Ren flew into the air and blew kisses as a few of her friends clapped and cheered.

"And now, for the final presentation!" Tiff announced proudly. "When the world began to change! When our beliefs were challenged! And our future was grim! She gave us hope, courage, and integrity, during such dangerous times! Her love and dedication for us all is absolute! It inspired us to unite against a powerful foe! And retake our home! She was our friend! But now, she is our Mother! Our protector! And our Queen!" The pixies behind her dispersed. And I fell to my knees when I saw her. Sitting on the throne with a massive smile on her face and tears in her eyes. "Presenting! Yusha The Righteous! First of her name! Queen of Villa!"

Yusha, now a Titania, rose from her throne and began making her way towards me. She was beautiful. She wore a simple white dress that glistened like a diamond. Her hair was no longer in a bun. It was long and wavy, flowing naturally down her back with a single white rose on the left side of her head. I was completely mesmerised with her beauty. She looked more like a virgin bride than a Queen (if this is a wedding, were getting the hell out of here!)

The new Queen came to a halt right in front of me. Her smile alone made my head spin. Without even thinking I stepped forward and stretched out my arms. Yusha did the same and we embraced one another. She was much taller than me now. But she was kind enough to bend over slightly so I wouldn't get a face full of her noticeably enlarged assets (what a sweetie!) as we held each other for what felt like an eternity. Everything around us didn't matter to me. The cheering. The "Awwws." The daggers I could feel being shot into my back by Amina and….Ren? I didn't even care if this was just a dream. If this was. I never wanted to wake up.


	27. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Until Next Time

Daniela, now free and fully clothed sped down the corridor with Fidelis following close behind. His hand on the hilt of his sword. Thanks to her Father, their captors decided she was no longer a danger and released them from the magical barrier they had them encased in. From what the old knight could tell, the battle was now over. But that did not mean he was going to let down his guard. His daughter's life was still in danger, and they both knew it. Moments later, they reach the door connecting the great hall to the royal sleeping chambers.

Pushing the door open, Daniela released a sigh of relief when she saw her life force had not been tampered with. The massive ball of light was still floating high in the air with an ominous purple glow that made her entire body quiver with anticipation. That thing was keeping her alive. But it was also a painful reminder of what she had done not so long ago. She didn't want to be Queen anymore. But she didn't want to die either.

Looking away from the light show, Daniela realized they weren't alone. Just meters away were three girls who appeared to be too deep in discussion (or just didn't care) to notice their arrival. Daniela instantly recognized the Pixie as Tiff thanks to the scars all over her body. With her was a silver haired Fairy she didn't know. And the third was….a Goblin?

"Why is there….a Goblin here?" She whispered to her Father. "From what I have been told," He whispered back "she's Bain's travelling companion, Amina." This surprised her a little. No one had actually told her about any Amina. Not that it really mattered to her anymore (since she's already lost the fight.) But this little Goblin was shouting rather loudly to her companions. And Daniela was not particularly fond of loud noises.

"I've done what you've asked of me! I've helped you guys take the city, now give me back my boyfriend!" ( Boyfriend!? She wishes!) The silver haired Fairy folded up her arms and gave a haughty laugh. "Boyfriend you say!?" She asked sarcastically, "Big guy never mentioned he was anybody's boyfriend!" She then leaned forward a little and gave her a patronizing smile. "Sounds pretty one sided to me!"

Amina leaped forward and repeatedly tried to swat her with her mace. But the little Fairy easily dodged her attacks whilst blowing her a few raspberries. "You Little Tramp!" Amina screamed furiously, "Bain is my boyfriend, and were gonna get married!" Ren laughed once more before shouting "Sonus! Ligula! Strideo!" Daniela snickered as she watched the spell take effect. Every time Amina opened her mouth to speak, her words would be replaced with a system of nonsensical gibberish in a very high-pitched voice. And what's more, Amina was completely unaware of it! It's a very popular spell for pranksters and buffoons who like a good laugh (wish I could do that to her.)

It was then that Fidelis decided to step forward and cleared his throat. Tiff instantly flew up to him and greeted him with a salute. The little Fairy ceased her laughing and shot Daniela a glare. Whilst Amina pointed a finger their way and said something that Daniela was assuming was supposed to be "Who are they?" "Pardon me for interrupting," Fidelis said politely "But shouldn't we be discussing something a little more….serious?"

"Sir," Tiff responded professionally "The battle has been won, and the loyalists have been taken prisoner." Fidelis nodded. "Very good, captain. But what about…." He then looked at the purple ball of light "That?" Everyone looked up and an awkward silence followed. "Ah. Right." Ren said stiffly. "What should we do?" "Leave it to me!" Came a cheerful voice. There she was. Right there. Right next to Amina! The one-person Daniela did not want to see. Freyja.

The poor little Goblin jumped back and screamed. Producing a loud, ululating call that would have made Tarzan proud. Of course, Ren flew into a hysterical fit of laughter as Amina began to shout blether and flapdoodle at the Lilim. Who in turn, gawked at her with a mixed look of confusion and amusement on her face. Fidelis and Tiff however, wasted no time in drawing their weapons and stood defensively in front of a now very nervous looking Daniela.

"W….why are you….here?" Fidelis asked in a wavering voice. Everyone could see it. Freyja's ridiculously powerful seduction abilities were already taking its toll on the old knight. And he was finding it increasingly difficult to stay focused on the task at hand (so….how come it didn't affect us?) Freyja tore her attention away from the strange Goblin and began to explain.

"Problem number one." She pointed a finger at Daniela "No one wants her to be Queen anymore." She then pointed up to the orb of light. "Problem number two. Her life force is still connected to the Vitalux (is that what it's called?) Which has also been corrupted by demonic energy." She then reached her hand down her blouse and pulled out a red-haired Fairy everyone was quite familiar with. Ren stopped laughing immediately. "You better not hurt her, or Bain's gonna be VERY unhappy!" "And three." The Lilim continued, "Your little friend is not going to last much longer in her current condition."

Everyone looked at the unconscious Fairy with much concern. She did indeed look to be near the end of her life. Their healers are exceptionally skilled in their line of work. Despite the serious injuries she had suffered earlier, Amina was back to her old self in a matter of days (she didn't even have any visible scars!) But they were all outside, treating their injured comrades after a hard fought (by Fairy standards) battle. It wouldn't have mattered how fast they go her to a healer. She was already at the point of no return. At least, it looked that way.

Daniela gently pushed her Father aside as she approached the young Lilim. "Please….I don't care what you have to do….just help them." She didn't care what happened to her anymore. She could sense the life escaping Yusha's body and she took full responsibility for it. She was the one who ordered her minions to lock her up in that horrible tower and was now more than ready to give her life in order to save hers. Of course, what happens now all fell onto Freyja. Everyone was at her mercy.

Freyja smiled and placed a hand on the Succubus shoulder. "Okie doki!" She responded light heartedly. What happened next left everyone absolutely stunned. Freyja flew into the air (she doesn't even have wings!) and approached the Vitalux until her face was within inches of it. She then opened her mouth and began to inhale the demonic energy like it was smoke! Sucking it out of the orb as it rapidly began to return to its original colour. Once the Vitalux had been completely cleansed, she spat out a small, purple coloured pearl and tossed it down to Daniela. The young Succubus caught the small ball and stared at it in disbelief. Freyja had somehow separated her life force from the Vitalux and moulded into another form for her to hold onto (not bad!)

Without wasting time, Freyja flew higher into the air and repositioned herself so that she was right on top of the Vitalux. She gave the unconscious Fairy a small kiss on the cheek before dropping her into the ball of light and flew back until she was a safe distance away. The entire thing began to crackle and pulse. Sparks of electricity flew in the air and the entire room began to shake as the Vitalux came to life. "Will this really save her?" Ren asked excitedly. "I'm not….sure." Daniela responded. "But if anything can save her….it would be the Vitalux." A beautiful melody could be heard coming from the orb. It was as if a chorus of Angels were inside. Singing a song that would fill even the most hardened of men with a feeling of happiness and bliss.

The sparks and pulses began to wane. Eventually ceasing all together with only the sweet tune remaining. Then, something began to emerge. A small, glowing form disconnected from the Vitalux and began to drift slowly down to ground below. It landed right in their midst and began to grow. And as it did so, it began to take the shape of a woman. The light surrounding it eventually faded away and the melody from above died with it. And right there, sleeping soundly on the stone floor, was Yusha. No longer a Fairy. But a Titania.

Daniela was the first to recover. She pulled off her cloak and wrapped it around the naked girl. Cradling in her arms much like she had done with her Mother. With tears in her eyes, Ren flew over to give her dear friend a hug. And Amina continued to stare at everyone, trying to figure out what was going on. Freyja flew back down to join everyone with a very satisfied look on her face. "Well, looks like everything has ended rather nicely!" She announced cheerfully.

"But why though?" Fidelis asked in a shaky voice. "Why are you doing this? I thought you came here to stop us." Freyja flashed the old man a very hurt expression. "I never said that!" She responded childishly, "I just came here to mess around a bit!" Everyone stared at her in disbelief. Amina tried to say something that was likely a "Huh?" "I don't care if I lose a city!" She explained, "It's better than starting a war! That'd just be silly!" (You have got to be joking! We did all that for nothing!)

"But….aren't you trying to take over the Fairy Kingdom?" Ren asked. "Of course I am!" The Lilim responded light heartedly, "But I'm not gonna take it by force! That's the problem with society! People tell others to do what they say! And if they don't, they kill them! I don't want that! I want people to willing accept me as their Empress!" She then smiled and puffed out her massive chest. "So if you don't wanna to be a part of the Mamonon Empire, that's absolutely fine! Amina and Ren slammed a hand over their foreheads and moaned. Fidelis and Tiff exchanged awkward glances. And Daniela shook her head and giggled as Yusha continued to sleep peacefully on her lap.

And that's it! That's pretty much what had happened when I was unconscious! Unless you count the part where Freyja asked Fidelis nicely to return all the Imps they had taken prisoner that night (which he agreed to….obviously." Ren decided to cut Amina some slack and undid the spell she had cast on her earlier. They both then raced down the corridors until they found the bed Freyja had tucked me into(she assured them we did nothing weird while we were alone together.) Daniela took Yusha to bed and Freyja gave her farewells to Fidelis and Tiff before disappearing in a puff of smoke. The End!

Well, not THE end! But….you know what I mean! The rest of the afternoon was spent resting and preparing for the celebrations that lied ahead. And said celebrations went on for two days straight! It quickly became apparent that the great hall wasn't going to be big enough for everyone to fit into. So the party was moved outside into the royal gardens. There was food everywhere! And it all had to be filled with fracking sugar (It's not the taste. But the fear of Gingivitis!) That aside, the party was quite a lot of fun!

I do in fact, like to dance. And there were plenty of girls to dance with! Maybe a little too many….and there was a lot of free love being thrown around as well. Amina was a little annoying watching over me all the time. But I was grateful she kept some of the friskier partygoers away from me. And there were plenty of opportunities to catch up with everyone. Yusha appeared to have adjusted well to her new role as Queen. Daniela and I talked and, eventually, resolved our differences. I even shared a drink with Fidelis and Tiff! I only had a little bit though (not making the same mistake twice!)

But I couldn't find Ren anywhere! The entire time she was nowhere to be seen! Even after the party was over and when everyone was giving us their final thanks and farewells! Anyways, I felt rather sad saying goodbye to Yusha. She didn't seem very happy to let me go either (she hugged me for a very long time!) Daniela also gave me a hug and asked me to stop by after I found my brother. Fidelis even offered to make me his squire! But I politely declined. I decided that I wasn't cut out to be a warrior (it's for the best.)

Amina eventually lost her patience and pulled me into the magical ring that was all ready to go. Next thing we know, were on a very familiar dirt road in the middle of a very familiar forest. To our right was the small side path we had taken down to the spring so many days ago. We were back on track! With a little spring to our steps, we resumed our journey north to Vastum. "Hey, Amina?" My little companion turned to me and smiled adoringly. "Yeah sweetie!?" "We haven't actually gone very far….have we?" Amina's smile faded a little. "Well….we've only done about two and a half days of walking." That bit of news hit me a little harder than I had expected. If we hadn't gotten involved with the Fairy Kingdom, we'd be almost out of the forest by now! I laughed and gave my friend a little nudge. "Oh well! Only eighteen and a half days to go!" The two of us laughed merrily at my bad joke. Only to stop and freeze when we realized too many people were laughing.

"Who's there!?" I called out as we pulled out our weapons and scanned our surroundings. I then felt something land on my shoulder. I turned to see what it was and got kissed on the nose by "Ren!?" Ren flew off my shoulder and giggled. "Did you miss me big guy!?" "What the hell is she doing here!?" Amina screamed at me. Her face now red as a beetroot (somehow, this is my fault.) "And where have you been young lady?" I asked loudly. "Been reading some spell books!" She responded proudly. "Now you have a professional spell caster in your team!"

"Bain?" Amina asked calmly. Trying her absolute hardest not to show her anger. "Amina?" I responded calmly. Trying my absolute hardest not to show my amusement. "She's not really coming with us….is she...sweetie?" I folded up my arms and gave her a teasing smile. "I don't know. Can you cast spells, Amina?" If the throbbing vein on her temple was any indication. She was not liking the way things were going. Amina looked over to Ren and gave her a crooked smile. "I know how to make Fairies disappear. Is that close enough?"

"No….its not." I answered sternly. I then beckoned Ren over to me. She happily flew onto my hand and clung onto my cloak as I held her to my chest. "I've made up my mind." I said in a more cheerful voice. "Ren! Welcome aboard!" Ren raised a fist into the air and shouted "Yay! Go team One-eye!" Ignoring the dangerous hissing sounds coming from Amina. I placed Ren onto my shoulder and continued my way up the road with renewed optimism. I knew having Ren with us would cause a lot of tension in the group. But her small size and magical powers will be invaluable in my quest to reach the northern wastes. To hunt down Kat. To save my little brother.

(But this had better not be the start of a fracking harem!)

 **Alright! It's already been one year since I posted my very first chapter!**

 **With that being said. I can proudly say that the first season of 'The Bain Of A Monster Girl' has concluded! Hooray!**

 **The fist chapter of season two will be posted sometime in January.**

 **Until then, I wish everyone a merry Christmas and a happy new year!**


	28. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Fowl Play

"Baaaain!" Ren whined into my ear. "Amina keeps glaring at me!" "I'll stop glaring when you get off his shoulder!" Amina shouted back. "Please stop fighting guys." I muttered for the 47th time that day. "But I like sitting here!" Ren protested. She then pulled herself up (using my ear for support) and kissed me on the cheek. "Besides, Bain doesn't seem to mind." She added with a seductive tone in her voice. "And stop kissing him already!" The little goblin growled angrily. "Please stop fighting guys." (Better make that 48, buddy.)

"Your just jealous I get to kiss him all the time!" Ren jeered. She was clearly trying to provoke her. And it worked….of course. Amina pulled her mace off the side of her large back pack and held it up in the air. "Keep talking like that, and you'll be kissing my mace!" Ren immediately turned to me with tears starting to fall from her eyes. "Bain, she wants to hurt me!" She squeaked. Sniffling for added effect. "Please stop fighting guys." (49 times now!)

"You're the one who started it!" "No! You started it by glaring at me!" " I'm glaring at you because you keep sitting on his shoulders!" "Is there something wrong with that!? Am I hurting anyone!?" "Your hogging him all the time!" "Deal with it!" "What did you just say!?" (It's time to end this!) "ENOUGH!"

Ren squealed as she flew off my shoulder and hid in a nearby bush. Amina jumped back. Staring at me nervously as I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down. I like to think of myself as a very mild-mannered individual. I prefer bland tasting food and drink. Calm weather conditions (a little rain is alright.) But most importantly. I like people who are polite, and soft spoken. Something both my companion are not! And listening to their griping for three days straight has taken its toll.

Amina slowly approached me. "Are you ok, sweetie?" She asked attentively. I pulled my backpack off and sat myself down. I then patted the ground in front of me and Amina quickly joined me. Ren reappeared as well and sat on my head to listen. "I'm better now, thank you." I answered gently. "But the fighting has been going on for far too long." Amina lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry sweetie." I felt Ren give my hair a slight tug. "I'm sorry too big guy."

I reached up and pulled Ren down from my head. I then handed her to a very confused looking Amina. "I don't want you apologize to me." I explained. "I want you both to talk and figure this out between yourselves." I then grabbed my back pack and pulled out my arrows and water bag. "I'm going to get us some lunch. I want you guys to setup camp, and figure your issues out by the time I get back." Without another word, I pulled myself up and, ignoring their protests, disappeared into the trees.

Usually, I'd take Ren with me to watch my back (this is Moanwood after all.) But I knew they needed to be alone to sort their shit out. Also, I needed some time to myself. Back home, I had plenty of opportunities to just relax and do my own thing. But not anymore though. Not with those two around. I was well aware of what was going on though. Ren (being Ren) is not afraid to show me some affection whenever she can. This in turn makes Amina (being Amina) violently jealous. I wasn't too sure if they could actually make up in the time I was gone. But if push came to shove. I was willing to show Amina some affection to keep her quiet. But touching each other's nether regions was not allowed. That rule was established just a day ago (don't ask.)

So anyways. I quietly made my way through the undergrowth. Marking the trees with my knife so I wouldn't get lost. And before long, I found something. A plump, juicy Pheasant hen. It's dull, chocolate coloured feathers made it almost melt in the undergrowth as it rummaged through the autumn leaves for something to eat. It was only a few metres away too! An easy shot! Very slowly, and very quietly, I pulled an arrow from my quiver, and took aim.

TWANG went my bow! The small hen was dead before it knew what had hit her! Without wasting time, I grabbed the dead bird and began to pluck the feathers away. Dunking it hot water beforehand would have made the job easier (Learnt that trick from Father!) But I Didn't want to start a fire out here. I could've gone back and prepared it at camp. But I hadn't been gone for very long either. Certainly not long enough for those two crazy chicks to put aside their differences. With that being said. I was more than happy to spend a little extra time out here (just don't press your luck mate!)

It took me at least a quarter of hour to get the bird plucked. Gutting it, was a much simpler task. All I had to do was make a small incision around the neck. I then used my fingers to make an opening large enough for my hand to reach inside. After pulling everything out, I opened a small pouch on my coat and placed the heart, Kidneys, liver and Gizzard inside for safe storage. I then pulled out some cloth and was about to wrap it around the meat when….I got attacked (I did you warn ya!)

Next thing I know, I'm on the ground. And everything goes dark, warm, and…. wet? Instinctively, I forced myself to my feet and was able to free my top half from the mass of goop which appeared to be trying to say something. But it wasn't until I had wiped the green shit from my eyes that I decided to listen to it. "Dooooon't be scaaaaared. I'm nooooot going to huuuurt yoooouuu." It said in a very drowsy tone.

If you hadn't figured it out yet. It was a Slime. A Bubble Slime to be precise. She was basically a massive form of green, bubbly slime, with the rough form of a woman. "Look lady!" I barked. "Whatever this is, I'm not interested!" The green Slime tightened the grip she had around my hips and pulled me towards her. "Relaaaax" She whispered softly. "Just let meee take care of yooouuu." (Do not let her kiss you! Do NOT let her kiss you!) And then she kissed me (FUUUCK!)

I closed my eye as her wet, sweet tasting lips met my own. Bubble Slimes aren't as fast and sticky as the rest of their kind. That's why they have the ability to corrupt the hearts of men with a just a kiss. One kiss and it's all over (were doomed.) "Theeere." She cooed. "Is thaaaat better?" Slowly, I opened my eye again, and looked to my attacker with a smile that made her cheeks turn a faint shade of purple. I leaned forward and whispered tenderly into her ear "Yes, my love."

I could feel her slimy form shiver and shake as she took in these words. "Do yoooouuuu really looove me?" "Close your eyes, my dearest." I answered. "And you will soon find out." She closed her eyes shut without hesitate. Why would she? She had me under her control. At least, it looked that way. SPLASH! The moment her eyes were closed, I reached for my water bad and emptied the contents all over her!

I had no idea why her kiss didn't work on me. But there was one thing I knew about Slimes. They can't handle water. I didn't have much in the bag to begin with. But it was enough to melt her face and arms away. Allowing me (with some difficulty) to break free. And then fall face first into the ground. With my face and cloak now covered in leaves and feathers, I scrambled to my feet and was about to run when…. "Fuck me."

There was more of them. And they had me surrounded. There were Common Slimes, Bubble Slimes, and even a Red Slime was there! And she seemed to be quite amused with what she was seeing. "Your fashion sense is….interesting." She remarked with a sneer. Then one of the Common Slimes spoke. "Did he saaaaaay to fuuuuck him?" She enquired (good choice of fuckin words Bain!) "I think he did, sister." The Red Slime responded coyly. "I don't know how you managed to withstand Poppy's kiss. But your too late! We have you surrounded! Get him girls!"

They then began to advance on me like a pack of hungry wolves. Very….very…. slowly. I had nowhere to run. My weapons would have been useless. The only bit of water I had was used on Poppy (who was still recovering.) And even though the weather had been getting cooler, I doubted it was going to rain today. Bottom line. I was in a lot of trouble. Fortunately, I was able to remember another important thing about Slimes. They couldn't climb trees.

It was quite fortunate that I was standing next to a young oak tree with plenty of branches for me climb. But I didn't plan to leave empty handed. I picked up the slime covered Pheasant and wedged it into my mouth (yuck,) and very carefully began to climb the trees branches (the slime made thing slippery.) "H-hey! What are you doing!?" The Red Slime cried out desperately. "Geeeet back heeeere!" Her minions joined.

I thought it best not to pull the bird out of my mouth just to say something witty and rude to them. I was having a hard-enough time just moving through the branches with so much goo on me. All that was needed was a slip and I would have been done for! Despite all that, I managed to make my way through the tree tops at a pace that enabled me to lose my slow-moving pursuers. But I was lucky. Had they been something else (like Minotaur's,) I would have been screwed.

By the Time I had found Ren and Amina, I was covered from head to toe in sticks and leaves. I was also tired. And completely over it. They had set up camp along the road. A fire had been lit and they appeared to be deep in discussion with one another. Approaching them in the state I was in without giving them any warning might not have been a very good idea.

"I'm so, so sorry Bain!" Amina squealed as Ren applied a healing spell to the large bump I now had on my head. "What happened to you, big guy?" Ren asked when she was finished. "Here." I grunted as I passed the slimly lumps of bird meat to Amina. She stared at the oozing, leaf covered form with a confused and disgusted look on her face. "What….is this?" She asked. "Lunch." I responded blatantly. "You might want to give it a clean first." I then turned to Ren and smiled. "Thanks for healing me. But could you be a dear and help me get cleaned up?"

While Amina prepared our food, Ren conjured a small rain cloud that could rain for as long as she could maintain her focus. I pulled the outer layer of my clothes off and gave them all a good scrub before jumping underneath it to clean the gunk off my body (Ren had to recast her spell a few times.) By the time everything had been cleaned and dried, lunch was ready (The meat tasted weird.)

The girls were kind enough to leave things the way they were. And better yet, they managed to come to an agreement. Ren could sit on my shoulder during the day. And Amina would cuddle with me during the night after we would make camp. I was cool with that. And I was more than happy to call it a day after we had eaten. "It has been a long day." (You said it, buddy!)


	29. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Time Is Fleeting

"Hey. Where does that go?" Amina did not even stop to look at the side path I was pointing at. She just grabbed my hand and began pulling me along with her (what's up with her?) "Oh! Nowhere special!" She answered nervously. "Lets just keep going!" Ren immediately flew off my shoulder and hovered over Amina's head. An irritated expression could be seen on her face as she scolded the lying little Goblin. "Not true! That way leads to the haunted hotel!"

I slammed by boots hard into the ground. Forcing my fleeing companion to a halt. "Nothing important, huh?" I said accusingly. I then pulled my hand away and folded up my arms like my Mother used to whenever she was angry with me. Amina spun around and placed her hands on her hips. "Don't give me that!" She shouted defensively. "We already wasted enough time at the Fairy Kingdom! You want to find your brother Shane, don't you!?" "Sherwin." I corrected bluntly. "Whatever!"

Putting that aside. I always wanted to visit a haunted house (or hotel.) Sure, ghosts and poltergeists aren't what they used to be (what is anymore?) but I'm a guy that's into spooky stuff. And a haunted hotel sounded like my kind of place! "Well, I want to check it out." I announced firmly. Amina's face turned red as she struggled to keep herself calm. "Besides," I added. Pointing a finger into the air. "I'd rather not be out here during a rainstorm."

Above us, the skies were shrouded in dark clouds that were heavy with water. And occasionally, you could hear the unmistakable rumble of thunder in the distance. It was the first day of Autumns Dew in fact. Storms are common around this time of the year. And they have been known to go on for days! Our swags could keep us safe from a little rain. But not something like this. And Amina knew it.

Amina stepped forward and poked me hard in the ribs. "If we get attacked by a bunk of spooks, I'll be blaming you!" I stepped back and gave my poor ribs a gentle rub. "Fine. Lets just go before it starts to….rain." And of course, it started to rain before I could finish (you just had to jinx it, didn't you?) By the time we had reached our destination, it was absolutely bucketing down on our heads! Lightning clashed in the skies above. And the wind was now blowing a gale that threatened to blow Ren off my shoulder! But I'll tell you something. The storm really complimented the place!

It actually looked more like a mansion than anything else. But it wasn't anything big or flashy like what I had seen back in Timber Town (those horrible colours….) It was old. Dull coloured. And seemed to be falling apart in a few places. The grey stones that kept the structure together were covered in various types of crawlers and vines that looked to be well maintained. Small, pointy battlements sat on the gutters and ridges of the roof.

And then there were the Gargoyles. Massive, stone encased monsters with a hint of femininity added to their design (of course.) Two of them sat on pedestals that were positioned at the base of the stairs leading up to the front porch. Wrapped around their wrists were golden shackles which were attached to the front of their pedestals. These prevented them from going anywhere every time the sun would go down (that's when they come to life.)

Smoke appeared to be pouring out of the chimney. And a faint light could be seen glowing from a few of the hotels windows. Indicating that the place was occupied. And hopefully, in business. On a normal day, this place would have looked pretty interesting. But the horrible weather really gave it character! Just looking at it filled me with an unfamiliar sense of….excitement? ( I see you shiver with antici….pation!)

"Do we really need to do this!?" Amina asked over the thunder and rain. "Your welcome to stay out here, if you like!" I responded sarcastically. Despite having to cling to me for dear life. Ren saw the humour in my teasing and laughed loudly so we could actually hear her. "That's fine Amina! The two of us can cuddle by the fireplace without you!" Well, that got her going.

Next thing I know, Amina has my arm and is almost dragging me up the stairs with great haste. The Goblin was in such a hurry, she failed to notice the Zombie standing by the door until they were only a few feet from each other. Amina gave out a horrible scream before hiding behind me for protection. The poor Zombie stood there for a moment. But then her friendly expression gradually turned fearful as she slowly backed off and gasped ( Someone's having a slow day.)

"I'm so sorry young lady!" She exclaimed. "I didn't mean to scare you!" It was strange. Freaky even. Her skin appeared to be torn and decayed in a few places. But her hair and maid outfit was clean and presentable. Her voice was dry and raspy. But she spoke with an elegance that could rival Amina's! I understood that all Monster Girls are part Succubus! But seeing a Zombie like this left me feeling a little weirded out (what were you expecting?)

"Don't mind her." I responded. "This ones a bit of a chicken!" Ren added with a chuckle. "Can we just go inside already!" Amina shouted from behind me. "I'm freezing my tits off!" (Charming….) We had to wait a few more moments before an awkward smile started to form on her face. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you like." She finally said. "We still have rooms available." She then leaned forward and flashed me a toothy grin. "And I'm sure the other guests will be….delighted to meet you."

Well, how about that! She actually managed to scare me! Just not the way I was hoping. I was actually starting to reconsider going inside a Monster Girl infested mansion during a heavy rainstorm (Your reconsidering this now!?) But as the Zombie maid began to open the door, Amina eagerly pushed me forward. There was no going back. I took a deep breath. And walked inside.

"I was expecting a haunted hotel to look a little more….rustic." That was Ren's honest opinion. And I had to agree with her. The entranceway was brightly lit with candlesticks that hung from a massive chandelier above our heads. The polished floor boards didn't creak as we walked over them. There were no cobwebs or mouseholes anywhere. On one side, there was a couch that looked to be brand new. On the opposite end, was the reception desk. Not a single speck of dust could be seen. And everything seemed to be placed in a neat, and organized fashion. It was disappointing, to say the least.

"The lower level has recently been refurbished." The Zombie maid explained, as she made her way to the counter. She then rang a small bell that was sitting on the desk, and waited. A faint, but sweet-sounding yawn could be heard coming from behind the desk. And before I had enough time to prepare myself, an adorable little Dormouse crawled up onto the counter with a very drowsy look on her face.

She was absofrackinlutely adorable! She was about the same height as Amina. But her soft, fragile features and large, round ears took her to a whole other level in cuteness! Her long, brown hair was tangled and messy. And she wore a simple nightgown that barely covered her girly parts (most of the buttons were undone for some reason.) She was having trouble keeping her eyes open. She even seemed to be snoring softly as she stepped forward to addressed us.

"Will it just be you three?" Her voice was so soft and gentle, I was sorely tempted to pick her up and cuddle her like she were a baby (keep it together, mate!) "Um, yes please." I answered nervously. "We may need to stay here a few days, depending on how long the storm holds." The little Dormouse smiled and nodded before turning around. With just a flick of her fingers, a key flew off it's hook and straight into my hands.

"Your welcome to stay in room 33 as long as you like." She announced sweetly. She then turned her attention to the maid. "Please show them to their room, Magenta." Magenta, who at the time was staring at me with a curious look on her face, tore her attention back to her friend and nodded. She then began to make her way towards the door on the opposite end of the room. "Please follow me." She instructed.

As we made our way upstairs, the scenery began to change dramatically. Very few candles were lit. Making it difficult to see much around me. The walls were lined with old portraits and statues that looked to be hundreds of years old. From above and below, I could hear creaks and groans that made me feel as though the place was going to fall apart at any moment. And the air. The cold, cold air. Ren slipped into one of my pockets. Whether it was to hide or keep warm I did not know (probably both!)

Amina decided to walk alongside me. The look on her face made it quite clear that she was not enjoying this as much I was. I was actually quite relieved to see that they at least kept half of the place looking like it was infested with Poltergeists and Ghosts. As long as I had a bed to myself, you wouldn't have heard any complaints from me (your gonna jinx it again!) Our room was quite nice actually. Not as dark and draughty as the hallway, but it still had that spooky touch I was hoping for! Too bad there was only one bed (I warned you!)

The master bedroom was actually the only room we had in out suite. But it had plenty of room for all of us to walk around in. The massive, queen sized bed sat in the centre of the room. Sitting next to it was a wooden closet for our clothes. In one corner, I could see an old arm chair. And in another was a desk and chair. Sitting on top of it was an unlit candle and a few books. But no fireplace (another big disappointment for the day.) "Not bad." I said aloud. "Yeah!" Ren remarked excitedly. "This place looks great!"

Amina shuddered before dropping her heavy pack to the ground. Which way to your washrooms?" She asked Magenta timidly. Once again, we had to wait a few moments for Magenta to take everything in(she's almost as bad as those Slimes from yesterday!) "Down the hall. Last door on the left for men. And right for the woman." Was her response. "Dinner will be served in the dining room downstairs." She added. "It will be ready in an hour." And at that, she turned around, and walked out of the room.

"I guess we should wash up before going down there." I muttered. "Did you want me to join you, big guy?" Ren asked coyly. I pulled the troublesome Fairy off my shoulder, and then handed her to a very relieved looking Amina. "Left for the Men." I responded with a playful tone. "Because Women are always right." Amina found my joke rather funny. Ren….not so much.


	30. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Into The Deep End

Hot water. An unnecessary luxury in my opinion. Back home, you had to boil your bath water over a fire before pouring it into the tub. I could never be bothered doing that, so I just washed myself in cold water (even during winter!) Mother used to fuss over it. She thought I would one day catch my death of cold. And yet, I'm still kicking. And I read somewhere in a book bathing in cold water was good for my vitality (whatever the fuck that is.)

Anyways. I was once again, rather shocked at how fancy and exotic the décor looked. It still had a dark, gloomy feel about it. But it didn't hide the fact that the room had been refurbished quite recently. The ceiling, walls, and floors were covered with dark, marble tiles. They were not only squeaky clean, but gave off a warm, soothing glow beneath my cold feet.

A gentle breeze blew in from some vents in the ceiling. But it wasn't a cold draft coming from outside. It was warm and smelled of smoke. On each wall was a red candle. They gave the room enough light for me to see everything around me. But they also produced a very pungent smell (Roses, maybe?)

In the centre of the room, the floor suddenly drops more than a metre down. Producing a large, rectangular space with enough room to allow three grown men to sit in. At the bottom was a small hole with a similarly sized plug sitting right next to it. Above me, there were two pipes that poked out from the ceiling. They extended down to a height where I could comfortably reach the them whilst standing .

The only thing stopping water from gushing out of said pipes were these strange, metal caps, that were twisted onto the ends of them. One of them was red. And the other was blue. There was also a door on the other side of the room. I just assumed it was where the toilet was, so I ignored it, focusing instead on how to operate the very sophisticated looking bath tub (it aint rocket science!)

Before long, I had the tub filled with cold water. With my wet clothes removed, and a dry set waiting for me in the corner, I slowly lowered myself into the cold water. The small burst of adrenaline gradually faded away, and I was able to close my eye, and relax. I always love a good soak. And having a few sores and blisters only made the experience all the more enjoyable. But best of all. I was able to have some time away from my noisy compatriots (wait for it….)

I leaned back. Giving every muscle in my body a good, long stretch. Before settling back down again with a blissful sigh. "This is paradise." I whispered to myself. "Your telling me." (Thankyou, and good night!) I didn't freak out. I didn't even open my eye. I knew who's voice it was. And it didn't surprise me that she had somehow escaped Amina's watchful gaze.

"Enjoying the view….Ren?" I muttered calmly. The troublesome Fairy flew onto my shoulder and giggled. "Gee, I dunno." She answered teasingly, "I'm not seeing much." (oh, she's asking for it!) I opened my eye and looked at her with a smirk on my face. She was completely naked. And didn't seem to mind my gaze either. This was a perfect opportunity to see if she could take a little teasing (unlike Amina….) "That makes two of us." I replied smugly.

The little Fairy quickly burst into laughter. Pounding a small fist against my cheek as she twisted herself around until all I could see was her back. "You're so funny, big guy!" She shouted merrily as she continued to chuckle at my remark. I instantly regretted what I had said. That was not the response I was expecting from her.

She laughed. But it didn't sound right. From where I was looking, I could tell she had her arms wrapped around her chest and her legs folded up. And she was no longer looking my way. She was doing everything she could to hide her body and face from me. And I knew exactly why. Just Like Amina, she was self-conscious about her appearance. I didn't really care what people thought about the way I looked. It was my body and no one else's (for now, that is.) I thought Ren and I were on the same boat. But I was wrong. Ren was clearly hurt. And I had to own up to it. "Ren….I'm…."

"REEEEEN!" Amina burst through the door. She had a towel wrapped around her waist, and a furious scowl on her face as she advanced on us. But in her fury, she failed to see my wet clothes, which were lying on the floor in front of her. There was a skid. A squeal. And a great splash. Ren flew into the air and squealed "COOOOLD!" as the water sprayed all over the room (my dry clothes!)

Amina quickly resurfaced and pulled herself out of the tub. If the shivering and petrified look on her face was any indication, she did not like the waters temperature at all! "W-w-what is w-w-wrong with you? She stuttered weakly. "I have a naked Goblin in my bathroom. That's what's wrong." I responded. My tone was serious. But the grin on my face made it very clear to the shivering Goblin that I was just messing around (still got it!) Amina pointed a shaky finger my way as she began to scold me. "Y-y-y-you think this is a j-j-j-joke!? You t-t-t-told us to use….the….l-l-ladies….room."

Amina's voice trailed away as we both shifted our gaze down to where her towel used to be. Then to said towel, which was now floating in the water right in front of me. And then back to each other. She didn't look cold anymore. She actually looked like a giant tomato with horns! Yes, she was naked when we swam in that spring a few weeks ago. But no, I've never actually seen her lower parts until now. This was a first for both of us. And we were not ready for it!

I looked away and pulled the soaking towel out of the water. Amina quickly walked over to me and took it from my hands. She then gave it a quick rinse out, before wrapping it around her waist again. An awkward silence followed. Neither of us knew what to say or do. Amina just stood there, with her arms wrapped around her chest. Refusing to even look at me (déjà vu!)

"Umm….I'll just….go." Amina murmured as she made her way to the door. "I'll go with you." Ren said nervously. Flying onto Amina's shoulder as she was just about to grab the handle. A part of me wanted to be alone. To be away from those two. But in the back of my head, I could hear a voice. And it was telling me I had screwed up (you screwed up!) That I needed to say something now (you need to say something now!) Because if I didn't, the days ahead were going to be gloomy, awkward, and downright unpleasant (….what he said!)

"No! Wait!" I called out frantically. The urgency in my voice took all three of us by surprise (make that four!) Amina squealed as she spun herself around. Poor, little Ren wasn't ready for this, and fell off her shoulder. Falling to the ground with a tiny "Ouch!" It took a moment for the three of us to notice something else. For some reason, I was standing up. The water was still high enough to hide my nether regions. But only just. I quickly sat myself back down and took a deep breath. I then closed my eye. Trying to think of what to say next.

I was now in dangerous, and unfamiliar territory. But with Amina and Ren staring at me. Their eyes glistening with longing and expectancy. I had no choice but to continue (you reap what you sow.) This is what I began with: "In all honesty. I really don't know what to say." (….were doomed.) "I don't know what I can say, to justify all the mistakes I've made. The things I've said and done to you both. Things that have made you feel angry and hurt." Amina held her hands over her chest as she listened to me speak. Already, I could see tears beginning to form in her eyes. Ren, meanwhile, was still sitting down. She looked very uncomfortable. Despite this, she continued to listen.

"The truth is….I don't know the first thing about girls. I have a sister. But I have no idea how to talk or behave around either of you." It was then that Amina decided to step forward and speak. "I-it's not your fault Bain." She whimpered. "I overreact sometimes." Ren flew into the air and hovered in front of my face. "You haven't done anything to hurt me big guy! She said frantically. "But I have." I argue gently. "What I said to you earlier made you uncomfortable. And I'm sorry."

Ren was the first to break. Which actually surprised me (same here!) The little Fairy burst into tears as she flew in and clung to the side of my face. "It's ok! It's ok! I'm not angry! I'm not angry Bain!" I wasn't sure what made me more uncomfortable. The fact she had her naked body pressed against my face. Or the tears and snot that was running down it.

Amina slowly approached us. Seemingly unsure if she wanted to interrupt the moment we were having. Forcing my own tears back, I turned my gaze to her and smiled. "You guys are the closest thing I've ever had to friends. And I don't want any bad blood between us." Very careful not to fall into the water again. Amina closed the distance between us and pulled me in for a surprisingly gentle hug. Her head pressed intimately against my own. "There wont be." She whispered. "I promise."

There was a lot more touching and sweet talking going on than I was used to. But I was glad we were able to put everything behind us. It made me feel liberated. Refreshed. Even a little motivated! I really felt like we could make this work. We could actually work together as a team. And save my brother. Amina eventually released me and flashed me a seizure inducing smile. "Is it ok if we stay here for a little longer?" She asked tenderly.

Ren, who was still sniffling on my face, fell onto my shoulder and began to fiddle with my ear. "Yeah….can we?" " Umm, Y-yeah, that's fine!" I answered in a very high-pitched voice (smooth.) "But Bain….can we please pour in some hot water first?"


	31. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Creatures Of The Night

It was quite nice! Just the three of us, sitting together in the lukewarm water (we negotiated.) Amina sat to my left. Leaning gently onto my arm. Ren decided to splash around in the water a bit before climbing up my arm and onto my right shoulder. We were really enjoying ourselves! That is, until we realized we were being very intimate with each other. And that took the three us way out of our comfort zones (you guys really jumped the gun there!)

We had a tender moment back there. But we quickly realized that we were not ready to cuddle up together in the buff. I was still just a kid after all. No idea how old Ren or Amina were, but I could tell that they were not having much fun either. And after another ten minutes of awkward silence, we got out of the water.

Ren and Amina decided to get changed in our room, so I stayed behind to dry myself off. Despite the big splash Amina made (in more ways than one) earlier, the water failed to reach my clothes. This small convenience allowed me to change in the relative safety of the men's bathroom. When I was done, I threw the wet towel into a basket with a sign "Towels Here Please" written on it. I then waited patiently outside our rooms door for the girls to finish changing.

The spooky décor didn't really freak me out that much. But I couldn't shake the feeling something, or someone, was watching me from the shadows. I gave my head a shake as I tried to pull myself together. "Snap out of it Bain." I muttered to myself. "Your just imagining things." (are you sure about that?)

Suddenly, I heard something in the distance. Footsteps. Slow, heavy footsteps were making their way down the dark passageway, straight towards me. It was only when the stranger was passing by that I realized something. There was nothing there! Absolutely nothing! A few tense moments passed until the ghostly footsteps faded away into the distance. "Let's just think of something else, shall we?" (like seeing Amina naked?) "….I hate you." (Yeah….I know.)

I thought it best not tell Amina about my brief encounter with a ghost. Even though it would have been hilarious, freaking her out would have caused me more trouble than it was worth. Ren….maybe later. So when the two of them emerged from our room, we headed down stairs for some dinner. Magenta was waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs and quickly lead us to the door leading into the dining room.

From behind the door, I could smell freshly roasted beef and potatoes. I could also hear someone playing a trumpet. As well as a small number of girls singing to its vibrant melody. There was laughing, cheering, and even some clapping going on. Magenta turned around to address us before letting us inside. " A large number of guests have gathered here over the last couple of days to celebrate someone's birthday." She explained.

Amina stepped forward with an uncertain look on her face. "Are we intruding?" She asked nervously. Magenta slowly formed a smile. "Not at all." She responded softly, "The party goers are quite happy to have more people join the celebrations." Amina and I exchanged nervous glances. Things did not end well the last time we joined a party uninvited. But we were hungry. And Ren didn't seem to mind. "Yeah! Let's party tonight!"

Magenta opened the door and we walked inside. Ren was quite amused at what she was seeing. But Amina seemed to be close to having a heart attack. Standing on a round dining table was a Cheshire Cat. Her frilly top and mini skirt was a deep shade of purple that matched her cat like tail and ears. She was the one playing the trumpet. And quite well I might add.

Running around her in circles were three Jubjub's. They were a subspecies of the Harpy. And much like the recently departed Titania, Ceana, they were completely pink. Their fluffy feathers. Their hair. Even their tightly fitted clothing that barely covered their ample body parts. Everything was pink. Altogether, the three of them were singing a song to the Cheshire Cat's rhythm. And they were just about wrapping it up.

"Happy happy birthday! Happy happy birthday!"

"Lucky rabbits, lucky rabbits, we celebrate your birthday! Hip-hip Hooray!"

"Fluffy, Fluffy, we love you! Flopsie, Flopsie, and you too!"

"We'll give you hugs and kisses, all night long!"

"But first were gonna sing you this song!"

So there wasn't one, but two birthday girls. And they were standing just a few feet away. Laughing and clapping as they watched the childish spectacle unfold. They were March Hare's. Part rabbit. Part girl. And all horny as hell (love your poetry mate!) They were wearing very tight-fitting blouses that barely contained their massive cleavage. And I decided to ignore the fact they were not wearing any bottoms (now this is a party!) From where I was standing, I couldn't really tell the two apart. Leading me to the conclusion that they were twins.

Amina grabbed my arm and pulled me towards her. "I really think we should come back later." She whispered into my ear. For once, the two of us seemed to be on the same page. Ordinary Mamono are troublesome enough. But these girls came from Wonderland. And that was bad. Very bad. Wonderland is a Demon Realm, ruled by a Lilim who is known as "The Queen Of Hearts." She's Freyja's older sister. And, from what I've heard, is one of the loopier members of the demonic family.

All her subjects have been driven completely mad by their hunger for….man juices. There's not a single scrap of food you can eat, or a drop of water you can drink, without being turned into a sex crazed maniac. Even the plants and buildings are supposedly extensions of The Queen Of Hearts vulgar desires. And no man has ever entered Wonderland (willing or otherwise,) and returned. If the owners of this place were trying to scare the shat out of me, they've done well. Forget Werewolves' and Vampires! This is the kind of stuff that would give me nightmares!

"Yeah….maybe we should." I whispered back. "But the party's just getting started." Came a third whisper. I didn't move. I didn't speak. I didn't even breath. The Cheshire Cat was no longer standing on the table. She had somehow teleported behind me. Her hands resting gently on my shoulders as she breathed onto my neck. It wasn't until Amina ran over to a table and picked up a chair that I decided to act.

I stepped sideways to block Amina's path. "Amina, stop!" I shouted. Holding my hands out defensively. "She's just saying hello!" The Cheshire Cat decided to make things worse by wrapping her arms around me and purred into my ear "That's right, baby. I just wanted to say….hello." Cheshire Cat's are really good at teasing people. And right now, this one was doing a really good job.

But it wasn't I, nor Amina that reacted first. It was actually one of the March Hares. She advanced onto the Cheshire Cate, and pulled me out of her grip, and into her own (so….soft….) "Carol!" The March Hare shouted. Her voice was so soft and ditzy, it wouldn't've scared a mouse. "These are our guests! You need to be nice to our guests!"

Carol sighed and walked away. But not before giving her friend a firm slap to the ass. My saviour's reaction was a squeal that made my entire body shake. "You can have him, Fluffy." Carol sighed, "But only because it's your birthday today." Amina quickly pulled me away from Fluffy as she was rubbing her sore behind. "Sorry, but Bain's not a birthday present!" Amina stated firmly.

Fluffy smiled and bent over so their eyes were level (so….much….CLEAVAGE!) "That's ok!" She responded brightly, "My sister and I have a man already!" She then turned around and pointed a finger towards her sister. She appeared to be sitting on a man's lap. He looked only a few years my senior but would have towered over me if we stood side by side. He had short, red hair with the sides shaved off. He wore a white buttoned shirt, black trousers, and dance shoes that appeared to have been polished very recently.

Ignoring the fact the poor guy had two March Hares to look after, I decided to make one last attempt to get the three of us out of there (even though Ren was already saying hello to everyone.) "Are you sure were not intruding?" I asked her anxiously. Fluffy grabbed my arm and began to pull me towards the other guests. "Of course not!" She responded loudly. "There's no need to be shy!"

Looking ahead, I realized Ren was having lots of fun with the other party goers. Amina was following close behind me. She did not look very happy. But we both knew it was too late to back out now. The party was just getting started (just don't touch the punch kid.)


	32. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Hat-Trick

"No….I'm not a pirate." The confused Jubjub tilted her head as she studied me top to bottom. "So, why are you wearing an eyepatch?" She asked suspiciously. Before I could answer, her face suddenly lit up and she jumped excitedly into the air (how does she fly with those things on her chest!?) "Oh!Oh! Wait! It's a costume, right!?" She looked so happy. So proud to have come to that conclusion. "….Yes….it's a costume."

The Jubjub folded up her arms and smiled at me smugly. "Candy thought so!" She declared proudly, "Candy is the smartest of the sisters!" "Oh, your names Candy?" I asked, offering her my hand. "My names Bain." Candy ignored my hand and lunged right at me. She was surprisingly light. But having her wings and legs wrapped around me so tightly was making me feel very uncomfortable (why do I suddenly have a craving for marshmallow's?)

"Bain is Candy's new Friend!" She sang merrily. "Candy loves making new friends!" As Candy nuzzled my chest, I looked around to see how my companions were doing. Ren was sitting on a table, telling a huge number of party goers about how the two of us rescued Yusha from what she was calling "The Storm Tower." Of course, there were a few things she added and (thankfully) left out. But it looked as though she had everyone eating out of the palm of her hands.

Amina, meanwhile, had been pulled away from me by the birthday girls. She was now sitting at a table with the two March Hare's sitting on each side of her. They were leaning over, whispering things into her ears. And what's worse, they were looking right at me. Amina quickly averted her gaze when our eyes met. But that did nothing to hide the embarrassed and flustered expression on her face. I didn't know what they were talking about, and I never wanted to find out. Ever!

But there was something else. Something that made me feel uneasy. Looking around, I realized several people were staring at me as they talked and danced with their compatriots. It didn't feel as though they were cold, or hateful glares. Nor did they appear to be suggestive (except maybe Carol's….) Curious glances maybe? Magenta had given me similar looks before, but I thought she was just being weird. I quickly concluded that they were staring at my eyepatch. Causing me to self-consciously fiddle with it for a few moments.

Once Candy had released me, she grabbed me by the hand and began pulling me towards her sister's. Who just so happened to be talking the Cheshire Cat, Carol ( what could go wrong!?) "Sister's!" Candy shouted excitedly as we got closer. The two Jubjub's turned around and responded in unison "Candy!" Carol looked my way and flashed me a devilish grin.

"Well, ahoy me hearties!" The mischiefs cat greeted. Rising into the air and giving me a very mocking salute. With a painful smile, I gave her one in return. That was a mistake. Candy's sisters gasped and jumped back in fright. Is he a pirate!?" Asked one. The other jumped behind her and peeked over her shoulder. "Pirates are scary!" She stated timidly (way to go Bain!)

"N-no!" I blurted out, "I'm not actually a pirate. "That's right!" Candy supported, "He's just wearing a costume!" The two Jubjub's quickly calmed down and approached me. Hugging me tightly as they told me their names. "My names Lolly!" Said one. "A-and I'm Poppy!" Stuttered the other. But then Carol floated over and sat on my shoulders. I could feel her tail tickling my back as she kneaded my hair with her paws. "And I do believe we have already met, haven't we, baby?" "Yes," I responded bluntly "I do believe so."

It was weird. This girl could float in the air like she was light as a feather. But when she sat on my shoulders, she seemed to weigh quite a bit despite taking the form of a young girl. It didn't make much sense. But one thing was clear to me. This girl was giving me a thigh fetish. "Bet you never done this before, have you?" She asked teasingly. Poking me in the face with a large, furry finger. I didn't really know how to respond to that. Fortunately, I didn't have to.

At that very moment, both Fluffy and Flopsie stood up and shouted out "Game time!" And everyone quickly gathered around the two girls with food and drinks still in their hands. I spun around and rushed over there with such haste the Cheshire Cat almost fell off my shoulders as she tightened the grip she had around my neck (ULTIMATE NECK PILLOW!)

Amina was not happy when she saw Carol sitting on my shoulders. But neither was Ren. "Hey! Only I can sit on his shoulders!" The little Fairy shouted furiously. Carol just giggled and poked her tongue out at her. "I think you should do as she says." I affirmed nervously, "She's pretty good with magic spells." The Cheshire Cat sighed loudly before dismounting my shoulders. "Fine, have it your way." She drawled. But then wrapped her arms around my waist and clung to me tightly. "I'll just have the lower half." She added Coyly.

Amina was just about ready to tear into her when one of the birthday girls suddenly spoke up. "The first game we are going to play is truth or dare!" The announcement was met with much cheering and squealing from the other guests. I never played truth or dare before, but it sounded harmless enough, so I wasn't too worried (you have much to learn, my boy!)

Carol released me and rose up into the air. With a wave of her hands, the tables and chairs in the middle of the room were cleared away. Allowing enough room for everyone to sit down onto the floor and form a large circle. One of the March Hares then placed an empty bottle into the middle of the circle and explained the rules to us.

One by one, someone gets up to spin the bottle. When the bottle stops, the person it is facing must either answer a question truthfully or complete a requested task. If they are successful, they are safe. If they fail, they must remove their clothes….ALL of their clothes!

And so, the game begun with the twins. Most of the truths were sex related such as "Who was your first time?" or "What's our favourite position?" Then there were the dares. A few of them included downing entire bottles of alcohol. But many were quite….promiscuous.

Amina was hit quite early in the game and chose truth. With a very red face, she had to confess to everyone that she was still a virgin. I had a feeling that was the case, but for some reason it made me feel a little relieved to hear her say this. But then came Carol's turn to spin the bottle. And I had a horrible feeling in my gut it was going to land on me. I was right (well, shit!)

With a very seductive voice she asked me "Truth….or dare?" I didn't really feel like telling people about my personal life, so I chose the dare. "I dare you….to make out with either the person to your left, or right." A very red-faced Amina was to my left. And an equally cheerful Candy was to my right. To be frank, it was only moments ago that I learnt what making out actually was. And the idea of it made me very uncomfortable. But I decided it was better than taking my clothes off in front of everyone (your being self-conscious now!?)

It didn't take me long to come up with a plan. I leaned over to Amina and whispered gently into her ear "If it's alright with you, I'd rather our first kiss be in private." Amina's eyes flew open as she threw her hands over her mouth and squealed (you're a genius!) Amina nodded approvingly before turning away. I took that as my que and closed my eyes as I then advanced onto Candy and we began exchanging saliva.

It wasn't as bad I thought it would be. Candy's mouth tasted like….well, candy! She didn't use her tongue that much either (which I appreciated.) But the cheering kind of threw off my concentration. And while Amina seemed to be fine with this, I could feel Ren glaring daggers into my chest as our mouths mashed together for about a minute or so.

Candy giggled as we separated. "That was fun!" She squealed happily. I just flashed her an awkward smile before settling back down again. Wiping saliva off my mouth as I did so. After a few more guests spun the bottle, it was Ren's turn to give it a go. I landed onto me again. I could see it on Ren's face. She wanted to kiss me too. That's why I didn't choose the dare this time (you are a teasing son of a bitch!)

With a furious scowl on her face, Ren asked me her question. And it was a doozy. "Who's the girl you love most!" (oh, snap!) There was a lot of "Oooooh!" going on as I closed my eye and considered my options. Choosing Ren would piss Amina off (true.) Choosing Amina would piss Ren off (naturally.) But choosing another girl would piss them both off (without a doubt!)

"Tania." Was my answer. Together, Ren and Amina screamed out "WHAT!?" "Tania." I repeated calmly. "She's my little sister." Amina sat herself back down and released a loud sigh of relief. Ren did the same, but with a less than satisfactory persona about her (well played mate!) Everyone else clapped and cheered at my clever thinking. Except for Carol. Who looked a little disappointed.

When it was Amina's turn to spin the bottle, it stopped on one of the other guests. She was a Were Rabbit. She had white rabbit ears and feet. Wore an extravagant coat and vest that looked as though it were made with fine silks and a top hat that was decorated with purple feathers. Amina dared her to yodel for a few minutes. I had to admit, I enjoyed watching this girl try to yodel until she ran completely out of breath in the process.

Then it was my turn. I gave the bottle a good spin and watched as it began to slow down. It landed on one of the birthday girls. "Truth or dare?" I asked her expectantly. "I choose….dare!" I had spent enough time waiting my turn and already had a dare ready to go. "I dare you to speak in rhymes for the rest of the night!" There was no rule against such a dare. Two people had already been dared to wear each other's clothes for the rest of the night, so I thought it was a good one (boring!)

The March Hare giggled before responding with "I shall do my best, to pass your test!" I sat back down again feeling rather satisfied with my work. But such feelings left me rather swiftly as the game continued. The bottle stopped on me another two times! Far more than anyone else! First, I had to tell everyone that I was also a virgin. I was fine with that one! It was the second one that freaked me out a little. A very giggly Lolly dared me to smile. Properly!

I have mentioned earlier (chapter five, I believe) that I don't like to smile in front of people. It's my teeth, you see. Their crooked. And I hate it (we get it!) With great reluctance, I pulled back my lips and gave everyone a very painful looking smile. No one seemed to really mind that my teeth were crooked, actually. They were just thrilled to see me show a little more emotion during the night. Not that it made me feel any better.

"You don't want to play the next game, big guy?" Ren asked me with a concerned look on her face. "Nah, I'm gonna sit this one out." I responded gently. I couldn't help but feel as though Carol had been tampering with the bottle during the game. So, I decided to take a seat and eat some birthday cake as most of the guests moved on to the next game (that's one down.)

A large mat covered in spots of various colours was placed onto the empty space as the twins explained the rules to the next game. It was called twister. And I was very grateful that I decided to sit this one out. As the other guests were having fun getting into each other's comfort zones, Magenta decided to accompany me at the table I was sitting at. "Mind if I join you?" I tore my attention away from the game and shuddered. "A distraction would be greatly appreciated." I answered appreciatively.

"So….where are you from Bain?" I leaned back and relaxed a little as I considered my answer. "I'm from a small farm that lies west of Timber Town." Was my answer. Magenta stared at me a little longer than usual before continuing the conversation. "You do have the strong build of a farmer. But I would have taken you more as a….warrior than anything else."

Ignoring the laughter and wolf whistling going on behind me, I leaned forward and placed a hand under my chin. "Really?" I asked curiously, "And why is that?" Magenta shuffled in her seat a little but refused to break eye contact with me. It was like she wanted to know something but didn't know how to ask. "You just seem….different to other men." I narrowed my eye. " But in what way?" I pressed. Magenta didn't answer. A few tense moments went by before she stood up all of a sudden and left the room. Leaving me alone at the table feeling very confused. Was she trying to tell me something? Or was she just trying to hit on me (most likely!)

I returned my attention back to the game, but quickly looked away when I realized people (including my friends) were beginning to take their clothes off. Amina eventually stumbled over and took a seat next to me. Her face was bright red. She was covered in sweat. And looked absolutely exhausted. She was done for the night (that's two!)

"A-are you having fun, sweetie?" Her voice was high and shaky. Which made sense, considering she had just rubbed skin with a few monster girls from Wonderland (that sounded really bad just then!) "Yeah, I'm enjoying myself." I responded in a friendly tone. Amina then leaned her sweaty head onto my arm and said sleepily "That's good. I'm glad your happy." Looking over at Ren, I could see she was keen to play the next game. Which was never have I ever. And that included alcohol.

I didn't mind waiting for Ren to finish having her fun before going to bed. But I could tell Amina was getting really tired, so I decided it would be better to take her back to our room to sleep. Fluffy and Flopsie gave us both a hug and kiss (on the lips I might add) as we bade them farewell. The three Harpies did this as well. And then Carol decided to join in on the fun.

"You sure you don't want me to tuck you both in?" She asked in an affectionate voice. "I think were good, thank you." I responded calmly. By then, I had gotten tired of her teasing and simply waved her a final solute before leading Amina away from the party and up the stairs to our room. Magenta watched us as we passed the reception area. She didn't say anything. She simply nodded at me stiffly as we walked past. I still had no idea what she was trying to say to me earlier, but decided to just sleep on it.

Once we had reached our room, Amina collapsed onto the bed and sighed loudly as she began to remove her clothes. Neither of us had any alcohol. But I think the pheromones coming from some of the other girl's bodies had gotten into her system. Intoxicating her somewhat as she struggled to pull her shoes off. "Hold on, I'll get them." I said quietly. Amina almost moaned as I pulled the shoes off her feet. "Thankyou." She squeaked.

I just rolled my eyes as I took off my own clothes and laid down beside her. Amina immediately rolled over and clung affectionately to chest. This was a part of the deal I had made with the two of them earlier. I didn't mind this sort of thing anymore. Not with those two at least. I wanted to go straight to sleep. But I couldn't stop thinking about what Magenta said to me earlier.

"Is there something strange about me?" Amina lifted her head and yawned softly into my ear (anyone got a defibrillator?) "Strange?" She repeated sleepily, "What do you mean?" I stared at the ceiling for a moment before continuing. "Like something is….wrong with me." Amina suddenly sat herself up and looked at me with a concerned look in her eyes. "Are you ok? Do you feel sick or something?"

"No!No! I'm not feeling sick!" I exclaimed, "I'm just wondering if there's something that makes me come off as….unusual." Amina laid herself back down onto my chest. "Your different." She stated softly, "But not in a bad way." "But how though? How am I so different?" I then placed a hand over my empty eye socket. "Is it my eye?"

"I does stand out." She said calmly. "But that's not what I meant. You're focussed and driven. You're not afraid to say what's on your mind." She then shifted her position until she was sitting on my chest. Her form looming over me as she spoke. "And even though you don't show it, I know you care about others more than yourself. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

I couldn't tell if it was exhaustion, the touching words, or the strange odour coming from her body. But I suddenly found myself feeling really happy and relaxed around her. Her body felt unusually warm, and soft as our breathing became long and heavy. As she laid herself down onto me, I could feel her heartbeat. It began to beat in sync with my own. And it felt good for some reason. Next thing I know, our lips are within inches of one another as I found myself drawn to her like a magnet and…."BAAAAIN!AMINAAAAA!"

And all that disappeared as Ren began pounding away at the door. I quickly threw Amina off me and ran to the door. As I opened it, a very tipsy Fairy shot past me and dropped down onto the bed. Hiccupping as she pulled off her dress with some difficulty (timing could not have been more perfect!)

"I take you had fun tonight, Ren?" The little Fairy looked up and giggled. "Yep, yep, yep! I had so much fun!" She then crawled up onto my pillow and began to snore loudly. "Is she already asleep?" I said aloud. "I think she's had a lot to drink." Amina responded as she scooped her up and cradled her into her arms like she were a baby. Amina was smiling sweetly, but I could tell she was disappointed we were interrupted like that.

It couldn't be helped. I blew out the candle that was lighting our room and laid back down next to Amina, who had decided to place the unconscious Ren onto her chest. Wrapping an arm around her waist, I kissed the Goblin gently on the forehead before settling down for the night.


	33. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: The Sleeping Giant

There I was, engulfed in darkness. My heart beating gently as I continued to sleep. Even though I couldn't see her, I knew Amina was with me. Her warm body pressed tenderly against my own as she breathed softly into my ear. To me, this was luxury. Paradise even. But then….I felt something. A cold breeze. A gentle gust of wind blowing over me. But why though? I thought the window was shut (no idea!) And why do I smell grass? Scratch that, why am I lying on grass? Then I felt a drop of water hit my face. Then another. And another! Is it fracking raining in here!?

I opened my eye and scrambled to my feet when I realized I was no longer in my bed. I was in a forest. The trees were covered in leaves of red, yellow, orange and brown. The grass felt cold and damp beneath my bare feet. And above me, the skies were covered in dark clouds. I couldn't really see much else because there was a thick blanket of fog, rising more than a metre off the ground. The air had a wonderful chill to it. That cold, damp, autumn breeze that made me feel clean and refreshed.

"Is this a dream?" I whispered to myself. It was only then that I looked down and realised I was completely naked (I sure hope so!) This place didn't seem too bad really. But something felt off. Really off. I cautiously walked over to one of the trees to have a look at it. It was strange. The trunk was covered in rough, grey coloured bark. But there were no saplings sprouting out of its sides. There was no moss growing off it either. No tree sap, no holes, no indentations. Not a single scratch!

I then got down on all fours so I could take a peek under the fog. There was grass….that's it, just grass! Not a twig, nor stone (amateurs!) This was not right! Not right at all! If this were a dream, my subconsciousness would have created a far more convincing scenery! Someone was screwing with me. I stood up and threw my arms into the air. "Alright! Fun times over!" I shouted. "I'm not in the mood for games! So how about you let me go right now, and I'll let you off with a warning!?"

There was no response. Only the wind and rain could be heard as I stood there rather awkwardly. "So, that's how it's going to be, is it?" I muttered. "Fine. I'll just wait here then." I sat myself down underneath one of the trees. Curled up my legs, and waited. I was no fool. This bozo was hoping I would run blindly through the trees trying to find them, or a way out. Exhaustion, frustration, and confusion would begin to take its toll on me. Eventually, I would have reached my limit. Only then, in my weakened state, would my foe make their move. I didn't know who they were or what they wanted. But I wasn't going to make it easy for them.

Only a few minuets went by before I got a response. In the distance, I could hear a woman laughing. Her voice echoing ominously through the trees. But I didn't move. Not even a little. This was going to be a waiting game, and I planned to win (this could take a while….) More time went by. Minuets….hours perhaps. A little difficult to know without a time piece.

In fact, would the laws of time even apply here? Could an hour here be mere minuets in the real world? And Would someone be able to pull me out of here from the real world? These things crossed my mind as my captor continued to try and lure me away with a large selection of noises.

The laughter subsided and was replaced with the sounds of footsteps. Then came wolf howls. Breaking branches. Ghostly moans. And when all these things failed, a storm was whipped up! Everything around me turned dark and ominous. The fog disappeared as the wind turned into a howling gale. Rain bucketed down from the skies, and there was so much thunder and lighting, it could have awoken a stone dragon!

And yet, I refused to move. I was cold, wet, and even a little frightened. But I was not going anywhere. "Is this it!?" I screamed over the noise. "Is this the best you can do!?" The storm intensified. I had to cling to the tree trunk to prevent myself from being blown away from the powerful winds and the rain turned into hail as it battered me from every direction. It was horrible!

But then I realized something. This wasn't real. This was an illusion. So, that means, I can't get killed….right? (be fucked if I know!) I didn't really have much choice. It was better than staying here anyways. I closed my eye. Took a deep breath. And let go of the tree. And just like that, it was all over.

Everything went dead silent. All the bruises I had received earlier quickly faded away. And my body temperature rose to a comfortable level as I seemingly floated in a massive expanse of darkness. "Is it over?" I whispered to myself. "Am I finally free?" "No." Came a woman's voice. "I'm afraid not." I looked around, trying to pinpoint her location. But like before, her voice seemed to echo all around me. "Where are you?" I whispered darkly. A few tense moments passed by before she answered. "I am everywhere." I gave a chuckle. "Of course you are." I responded sarcastically. "Could you at least tell me your name without speaking in riddle? I'm not a dragon." (if only….)

"My….name?" She asked nervously. "Yes, your name, please." There was another long pause. And I was starting to get annoyed. "Do you even have a name!?" I shouted angrily to the darkness. "I did have a name." She responded sombrely. "A long time ago." My anger was quickly replaced with curiosity. It didn't sound like she was trying to play coy with me. "Are you a ghost?" I said more softly. "That is correct. I have been dead for hundreds of years." "Hundreds!?" I exclaimed. "You were around when the country was under the control of the order!?" "Correct again." She answered. "This mansion, now a motel, was built by my father. We fell….during the civil war."

Time for a history lesson(….hooray!) Long ago, this land belonged to the order. A massive empire that strived to create a safe, and law-abiding world, in the aftermath of the rising of the demon lord (the Succubus one, that is.) But eventually, they had spread themselves to thin. Uprisings occurred. Plagues ravaged the lands. And many nations were abandoned as a result.

It was here, two hundred years ago, that a particularly long, and costly conflict broke out between the order and an invading army of monster girls from the east. Thousands of soldiers were killed. And in the chaos, countless civilians were either murdered or captured by the invaders. Cities were burned to the ground. Native tribes were completely wiped out. And there were no victors in end either. When the invaders finally gave up, the order no longer had the numbers to maintain….well….order in such a large expanse of land. And so, reluctantly, they abandoned us to our fate.

Most of the survivors packed their things and went in search of a new home. Others chose to stay behind. Living in small, scattered settlements, across the vast and uncivilised lands we simply call 'The Unclaimed Territories.' Here, humans are few in number. And they rarely trust anyone other than their own kin. A grim reality for me and my family. My Father knew a few decent people. But they rarely ever saw each other. And I never really had the chance to make any friends myself. Until recently, I had lived a rather lonely life on the farm.

Thinking about such things made me feel a little sad. And I understood that this woman and her family had met a rather unfortunate end. But I quickly shook these thoughts away. Remembering that this woman had basically abducted me(time to waggle some fingers!) "Alright then." I continued. "So why am I here? What were you trying to do?"

There was no response. Instead, Gravity began to return. I shifted my position as I began to float down and I landed softly on my feet. It was then that everything around me began to twist and contort. Various shapes and colours began to appear and in a matter of moments, I was back in the forest. Still dark and cloudy. But it was no longer raining. And there was no wind either. And then, from behind a tree, she finally showed herself.

Her ghostly white skin was the only thing that would have hinted to her condition. Aside from that, she looked quite normal (by human standards.) She was a little taller than me. But beneath her transparent nightwear, I could see she had a very sickly and gaunt build. Long black hair swept down to her waist. And there were bags under her large, violet eyes. She was basically a ghost.

I watched her closely as she drew near. She looked tired and sad. It was as if she had been bed ridden for days with some horrible illness. I thought back to the time that Sahuagin (can't remember her name) tried to take me for herself. She was sad, lonely, and desperate. I was unable to cope with that. Unable to fight back my empathy for her. She took advantage of that. And my folly almost got Amina killed. But this time, I was on my own. If things went wrong, it would be up to me to get myself out of this mess. Failure was not an option.

"You have not answered my question." I stated firmly. Trying my best look calm and in control (when I was actually pissing myself!) The ghost lowered her head and sighed. "For many years, I have looked for someone." She began fiddling with her hands nervously. Seemingly unable to even look at me in the eye. "Someone to stay with me. To love me. And comfort me."

I didn't say anything to that. I decided it would be best to let her speak before turning her down gently (since when are you gentle at anything!?) "I have met many men in my time. But they….they never stayed for too long." Looking more closely at her, I realized a few tears were pouring down her face. Falling to the ground as she continued her feeble plea.

"I know you are just a child. But I do not care if I have to wait until you are old enough to touch me." It was then that she stepped forward and grabbed a hold of my hands. She did not do so in a way that seemed forceful or threatening. But I could sense it. That fear. That desperation. She drew closer to me. Our eyes now connected as she smiled adoringly at me like some love-sick puppy. "I beg of you." She said gently. "Love me. And we can be together forever. Just you, and me"

It was only when I tore my eyes away from her that I had realized we were no longer in the forest. We were inside what appeared to have been a small cottage made from wood and stone. There was a roaring fire nearby. In front of it was a bear skin rug, lying neatly on the cold stone floor.

Pulling away from her, I noticed we were both wearing very comfortable clothing made from animal furs. Then I smelt something. Turning around I saw a small wooden table had been laden with food and drinks. All of my favourite meals were there! Slow cooked lamb shanks. Fried sausages with mashed potato. And freshly baked bread with a large slab of butter.

Above us were a few windchimes. The cold breeze coming in from a few holes in the walls made them dance and gleam as they made a soft, gentle melody that made me feel happy and relaxed. This girl was terrible at making forests. But she really knew how to make me feel at home. This….was true paradise.

"Do you understand now?" She continued. I turned around and saw she was making her way towards me again. An endearing smile on her face. "Stay with me. And I will give you…." She didn't finish. When she was just one step away, a strange thing happened. A massive pulse of energy had seemingly erupted from my body. The impact threw the poor girl away from me and into one of the walls. She fell to the floor, moaning as I stood there, too stunned to speak.

Was that me? Did I do that? Those were my first thoughts. But then I became a little concerned for the ghost. It looked as though she had been hurt pretty bad. But if that were the case, wouldn't the area around us have shattered, or dematerialised? My suspicion quickly turned to anger as I began to glare at her. "What are you playing at?" She looked up at me. Looking dazed and confused. "What?" She asked me weakly. It was then that I suddenly lost my temper.

I began to advance on her. "I said, what the fuck are you playing at!?" The hatred and rage in my voice frightened me a little. But I was not going to stop now. This little game had been going for far too long! "You think you can fool me!?" I screamed furiously as my captor cowered at my feet. Looking shocked and confused at the sudden turn of events.

"You think you can win me over with your disgusting lies!? With these pathetic illusions, and cheap magic trips!?" "But I…." "SHUT UP YOU LYING BITCH!" I slammed a fist into the ground. The impact made everything shake like we were struck by an earthquake. And the cottage began to crumble and fall apart as I felt a cold, but exhilarating surge of energy pulsate through my body.

I ignored the terrified pleading and screams of my captor turned captive. I ignored the ominous presence that appeared to be cloaking our surroundings like a dark shroud. And I ignored the unnatural change in my choice as I continued to mock and chastise this disgusting woman! This foul monster!

"I will not bow down to such a lowly, **and pathetic little creature! Nor will I succumb to the allure of the demon lord and her army of whores! I will find my brother! And I will bring him back home! For my name is Bain Kolf-Skot! And I promise doom to any who stand in my way!**

There was an explosion. A horrible scream. And then….nothing.


	34. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Out Of The Frying Pan

"Urgh! This stinks!" Ren quickly ducked her head back down into the chamber pot I had found under the bed. Belching forth yet another load of vomit as Amina held back her hair with two fingers. "In more ways than one." Amina responded with a giggle. Ren decided to ignore that and resumed her grumbling and groaning as she fought to overcome her horrible hangover.

"Bain, could you please get some water for Ren?" At that time, I was sitting on the other end of the bed. Lost in thought as I struggled to remember the dream I had last night. "….Bain?" "Huh? What? Oh, water! Sure!" I quickly jumped off the bed and began pulling my clothes back on. "Are you ok sweetie?" Amina asked as I began making my way to the door.

There was genuine concern in her voice. And when I turned around, my heart stopped for a moment. She was wearing a simple night gown that went down to her ankles. And her hair was a little messy after having slept on my chest the entire night. There was no morning sunlight pouring down on her from out the window (for added effect.) But that didn't matter. Seeing her like this showed me another side to her I had only recently noticed. And I was really starting to like it. She noticed this and blushed a little (what's with all this fucking heart throb shit!?)

"I'm fine." I responded gently. "I just….didn't get much sleep last night." I felt like a rotten prick lying to her. But even if I had come clean and told her something was wrong, I wouldn't have even known how to explain it to her. It wasn't like I was feeling sick or injured in any way. Something just felt….wrong. Unnatural. But Amina already had Ren to worry about. And I wasn't going to add even more to her plate.

Deciding to put my worries aside for the time being, I grabbed the door knob and gave it a pull. "Good morning, sir." I yelped as Magenta pushed me aside. In her hands appeared to be a glass of water and some kind of medicine moulded into a small ball. Without another word, she presented them to an equally startled Amina. "Umm….thankyou?" She said nervously. Magenta simply bowed before turning around. And without even looking at me, she left the room with the door still open (how rude!)

"Did you ask her to bring up some water?" I asked Amina awkwardly. "No. I don't think so." She responded. Dropping the medicine into the water. The contents quickly broke apart and dissolved into the cup with a loud bubbling sound. She then offered it to Ren. "Will it taste bad?" Ren asked her weakly. "Maybe. But it will make you feel better." I couldn't help but grin seeing Amina acting so motherly to Ren. But then I remembered my front teeth were still crooked, and quickly put a stop to it before either of them could notice.

"Well, I'm going to go get us some breakfast." I announced as I made my way out of the door. "Okay. But don't take too long." Said Amina as she carefully poured the drink down Ren's throat. "I won't." I responded before closing the door behind me. It was still quite stormy outside. And there was very little candle light in the hallway. So the place still had a spooky air about it. But I was too concerned about our empty stomachs to worry about anything else at the time. Even as I made my way downstairs, the sounds of wailing and moaning in the walls didn't freak me out.

Walking over to the front desk, I tapped a hand onto the bell. And in a matter of seconds, the fracking adorable little Dormouse was standing on the counter. Rubbing her large, sleepy eyes. "Can I help you, sir?" She asked me sweetly (could I dip you into my tea….sugar?) "I was wondering if you could tell me where we could get some breakfast?" I answered softly. She smiled and pointed a finger in the direction of the dining area. "Just head over to the refectory, and our cook can make you whatever you like." I nodded with a small "Thanks." And walked away.

Entering the dining room, I realized that the place had already been cleaned up. The floors had been mopped. The tables were cleared. Not a single speck or stain (*chuckles childishly*) could be seen. But I suppose that would make sense. Magenta (being undead and everything) wouldn't need any sleep. So she would have no problem cleaning things up whilst all the guests were in bed.

I paused and shuddered as I thought back to the events of last night. I had a Cheshire Cat sit on my shoulders (which was amazing!) Made out with a Harpy (also amazing!)Found out Amina was a virgin (not so amazing!) Smiled in front of dozens of strangers (oh god!) And then there was the big finale. Having a tender moment with Amina (I think I'm gonna hurl!)

None of those things were on my to do list. In fact, there was no way in hell I was ever going to do that shit again. Ever! And yet….I couldn't help but feel a little proud of myself. Simply because I had decided to go out of my comfort zone and have some fun. Just a little bit though. Don't think I'm gonna turn into some crazy, sex hungry harem king (whatever you say, buddy!)

But what troubled me most was Magenta. The way she talked to me. Something wasn't right. In fact. She was acting weird this very morning. I had no idea what her issues were. But whatever. It's her problem. Not mine.

Shaking myself back to reality, I looked around for any signs of a kitchen or cook. There were two other doors that were connected to the dining room. One was a large wooden door with a very old, and ornament look about it. The other one looked clean and newly built. With no scratches or dents on it. My logical thinking led me to believe that a kitchen would be one of the cleanest rooms in the building. And when I walked over to have a closer look. The smell of freshly baked bread and fried bacon told me that I was right.

Leaning forward, I gave the door a firm *tap*tap*tap* And from the other side I could hear a muffled "Oh, for the love of fuckery! What is it now!?" This was followed by the sounds of hurried footsteps. Then the sound of various objects banging and crashing to the ground. Some explicit swearing and cursing. And then more hurried footsteps.

The door then swung open with such a force I had barely enough time to jump back to save my nose from being broken. And standing there. Wearing an apron. Was a little girl. But it didn't take me long to realise that something wasn't right. She had these long, furry ears that stuck out from under her hair net. Her eyes were sharp and tinted with golden flakes.

And then there were these….things, attached to her. They looked like arms. But these were made from some sort of metal. Six of them stuck out from behind her. One of them was holding a large kitchen knife. Two of them were working together to knead some dough. Two more were wiping a dish. And the last one appeared to be have been used to open the door!

At first, the strange girl had a very angry scowl on her face. But the moment she saw me she jumped back with a squeal and began using her free arm to pat some flour off her apron. Her cheeks now blazing red. "I-I'm sorry!" She exclaimed. "I shouldn't have shouted at you!" "I don't mind." I responded nonchalantly. "I was just wondering if I could get some…." "Breakfast!?" She interrupted. "Sure! What would you like!?" "Enough bacon and eggs to feed two and a half people would be great, thank you."

Her cheery mood quickly disappeared as she leaned dramatically against the doorway and sighed. "Must be so wonderful." She groused. "To have a woman by your side." She then fell forward. Using her metallic arm to catch her like she was in some theatre (so dramatic!) "To have a child! A beautiful little girl!" She continued. "Why….why can I not be so lucky!?"

I just stood there. Staring at her with a blank look on my face. "I'm not married." I stated bluntly (oh no….) Her eyes flew open. And before I knew it, she was clinging to the front of my shirt with her real hands. A wild look in her eyes. "You're not!?" She squealed (please don't.) "N-no! I'm not!" I found myself saying (stop….now!) "And I don't have a child either!" (for fucks sake!)

A few tense moments passed before she finally released me. There was sweat pouring down her face. And her breathing was heavy. It was becoming very clear to me that she was having a hard time keeping herself in control. "Do you….need some water?" My assailant quickly jumped back. Shaking her head as she tried in vain to hide her embarrassment.

"No, I'm fine thank you!" She said nervously. "Everything will be ready in fifteen minutes!" She then began to back away into the kitchen like a cornered animal. "I'll just bring it out to you at one of the tables, okay!?" And before I could even say anything, the door was closed shut.

I stood there for a moment. A little shocked at the sudden turn of events. But all I could do in the end was sigh and walk back the way I came. "well….that could have ended badly." I muttered to myself (no shit, Sherlock!)


	35. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Treading Lightly

Without a doubt, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A good serving of eggs, bacon and toast will give you the energy needed to face the challenges ahead. And a fresh glass of orange juice can do absolute wonders for one's constitution. Ren had the right idea! Having been rid of her hangover, she was now scoffing the food down at a pace I never thought possible! "This is delicious!" She said between mouthfuls (not a fan of seafood!)

"I'm glad your enjoying it." I responded warmly. I then turned my attention to Amina. Who was currently glaring at me from the opposite end of the table. "Does it not taste amazing, Amina?" I asked her teasingly. The angry little Goblin just gave me a "Humph!" Before cramming a sizable pile of bacon into her mouth.

Cinnamon (the cook) had done an amazing job with the food. And I was more than happy to point it out as she presented them on three massive wooden plates. "Oh! Well thank you, sweetie!" She responded cheerfully. "If you need anything else, you know where to find me!"

I couldn't tell what Amina hated most. The fact I had complimented her cooking. That she called me sweetie. Or that she had her hand on my shoulder as she gave me those parting words. It was actually kinda refreshing seeing Amina back to her old self again. Sweet, caring Amina just made me feel uncomfortable.

"Well, the two of you seem to be getting along well….sweetie." she noted. Heavily emphasizing the 'sweetie' with a thick coat of venom. I had only just filled my mouth with some bacon and egg, and decided to take my time before giving her a response. Partly because I wanted to tease her a little more, but also to figure out a response that would not result in a dozen broken bones.

"She's alright. Good at cooking." I then paused and scratched my ear awkwardly. "But I suppose she has to be, being the cook and everything." Amina just continued to glare at me. Picking at her food with a fork. An intense atmosphere was beginning to form between us, and it was beginning to make Ren (bless her heart) feel uncomfortable. "Umm….so….what are we going to do today?" She offered timidly.

I slowly shifted my gaze to one of the windows. It had been raining non-stop since we first arrived here (which was about twelve hours ago,) and it didn't appear to be ending any time soon. This meant continuing our journey now would be very hard going. The rain, the mud, and the wind would only slow us down. And the idea of dealing with an angry Goblin on top of all that was enough to give me a small migraine.

"I'm not sure." I responded softly. "It will be some time before we'll be able to move on." "You'd like to stay here a little longer, wouldn't you!?" Amina suddenly snapped. Ren and I jumped in our seats. Shocked by the sudden outburst. First there was anger. Then surprise. And finally, with a very sullen expression on her face, Amina slowly rose from her chair. All we could do was watch in silence as she made her way to the door. Closing it gently behind her as she left the room.

I instinctively looked around. No one else was here. But I still felt very uncomfortable none the less. "Should….I go talk to her….or something….Ren?" I looked at her when she gave me no answer. Only then, did I see the tears pouring down her eyes. I immediately stood up, and very gently scooped her up into my hands.

Holding the sniffling Fairy to my chest, I wondered to myself if I was to blame for this. I wasn't interested in Cinnamon. In fact, I wasn't interested in any girl for that matter! I was simply too young, and too busy (finding Sherwin) to have those kind of things on my mind! Amina should know this by now. And yet, she was still treating me like some selfish, egocentric womanizer!

"A playboy, huh?" I suddenly found myself saying. "What?" Ren pulled her face out of my shirt and looked up at me. A very confused look on her face. "Ah! N-Never mind!" I said in a fluster. "Just thinking out loud!" For a moment, we just stared at each other. Then came a giggle from Ren. I tried to keep a straight face, but a chuckle quickly left my lips. And then, without warning, we burst into laughter.

There was no going back. Together, we fell into a wild state of hysteria that would not end for at least a quarter of an hour. And by then, we were on our backs. Gasping for air and holding our aching sides. "You….always say….the weirdest things!" She wheezed. "Yeah….sorry about that." I responded weakly. Using me for support, she stood herself up before climbing onto my chest. The heart stopping smile on her face told me that she was well and truly over the shock of Amina's little fit earlier.

"It's fine." She retorted sweetly. "But what was that about being a playboy?" I quickly looked away as blood began to rush into my cheeks. The thing I loved most about Ren was that we could talk about almost anything. Almost. "Well….Amina seems to think that I'm going to run away with another girl at the next opportunity."

With a teasing grin, Ren folded up her arms and chuckled. "Will you?" She asked. "Of course not." I responded dryly (what comes around, goes around.) "And yet, she treats me like I'm her property!" "Don't be so hard on her." She said in a surprisingly serious tone. "She really likes you, you know? And I think she's worried you don't feel the same way."

One moment, Ren was on my chest. Staring at me as she waited for a reaction. Then she was in the air. Then back on the table. And then I was gone. Very gone. I chose the nearest door and fled the room before she could even blink. Well, maybe not….but I got out of there pretty quickly! There was no way in fracking hell I was going to talk about this kinda stuff with Ren, or anyone for that matter!

I had no idea where I was going. I just ran, and ran, and ran, and then crashed. There was an "Oof!" An "Oh!" And at least a dozen books flew into the air. A few of them falling on top of me as I fell backwards onto my arse. "Ahh! Falk!" I cried out. "Oh dear! Oh Gosh! Are you okay!?" Came a femininely nasal voice.

I looked up and saw a pink, fleshy hand being offered to me. It was only then that I realized I had crashed into an Orc. She had the usual pig like features I would have expected from her kind. But rather than the tight, revealing leather armour I had seen on the encyclopedia, she was wearing a knitted sweater and dress. Although it still did a good job showing off her well-endowed figure (try to stay focussed, mate.)

The woman easily pulled me to my feet before beginning the difficult task of gathering all her books again. And it was only natural that I helped her out. "Sorry for running into you like that." I said apologetically. "Oh no! It's fine!" She responded nervously. Her face bright red as she took the books from my hands. But I wasn't really paying attention to her at that point. I was too busy frothing at the mouth as I took in my surroundings.

You would know by now that I like to read. But being confined to my home for so many years made it difficult for me to find new reading material. So you can imagine the look on my face when I suddenly realized I had stumbled into a room full of books! It was beautiful! Stunning! Magnificent! There were books everywhere. Hundreds of them! Rows upon rows of them! Packed into dozens of these massive shelves that were twice my height!

"Is this….a LIBRARY!?" The poor girl almost dropped her books again as she jumped back and squealed with fright. "Ah! Yes! This is a library!" She shouted awkwardly. "You are free to read as many of these books as you like! Just be careful with them, please!"

That was all I needed to hear. Like a child in a candy store, I ran happily from one shelf to another. Browsing every book I could reach. Searching for anything that I would find even the least bit interesting. By now, I had completely forgotten about Amina, Ren, and everything else! I was now in my own domain!

But then I realized something. I was going to Vastum to find my brother. A place I knew very little about. I didn't really like the sound of it. But if I was going to waste time at a library, I may as well read something productive. The Orc was sorting through her books when I approached her for help. It just so happened that she had two books that could provide me with the information I desired.

One of them was an atlas that provided me a rough idea of the regions geography. As it turns out, Vastum sits along the northern borders of Moanwood. A vast expanse of open plains will eventually turn into a near impassable collection of mountains that spread all the way up to the frozen realm of Upplega.

The open plains looked easy enough to transverse. The mountains, on the other hand….not so much. I'm not a mountain person. My ancestors were! But not me. And there are no settlements north of Timber Town either. So if we got lost up there, we could starve to death. Or worse, freeze in the winter snow. After all, winter was only a few months away. And to make matters worse, I had no clue where Kat could be hiding up there.

Shaking these dark thoughts from my mind, I turned my attention to the other book. This one was much smaller than the atlas. If fact, it was actually a journal. Written by an explorer named Gera Framar. The guy wrote the first entry into this journal quite a few years ago. And the contents were quite interesting.


	36. Gera's Journal: Into The Sticks

Gera's Journal: Into The Stick's

 **This is a journal used by an (amateur) explorer named Gera Framar. A lot of the pages were used for taking notes on the local flora and fauna encountered in the region. Others had very rough sketches (including a number of naked women.) The few entries written within were messy and difficult to read (thanks, Gera.)**

Springs Thaw,17th day, 537 D.E

Had a nice time at Timber Town. Plenty of girls and rum to keep me warm during the last few months. But winter's just about coming to a close, and I'm starting to get bored. Gotten myself enough supplies to last me a few days when I make my way north to Vastum. People saying there's no other settlements in that direction. I can already tell this is gonna be an interesting trip. Should probably hire some bodyguards.

Springs Thaw, 20th day, 537 D.E

Unbelievable! Not a single bastard in this town has the balls to join me on my journey!

A few bandits and rape happy monsters wouldn't be a problem for a few decent fighters, but even the orc mercenaries aint interested unless I give them a ridiculous sum of cash! Oh well.

I'll have to work at the tavern a few days to pay their fee. No way I'm heading there alone.

Springs Thaw, 25rd day, 537 D.E

My journey has begun.

Why am I writing this?

Springs Thaw, 27th day, 537 D.E

Pretty uneventful so far. Lots of Fairies buzzing around, but they don't cause no one any trouble.

The Orcs (Brenda, Marge and Peg) have been taking every opportunity they can to stop and….rest.

Be an old man by the time I get to Vastum at this rate.

Springs Blooming, 1st day, 537 D.E

Out of food.

Damn Orcs are pigs (hope they don't read this.)

Springs Blooming, 5th day, 537 D.E

Plenty of food to be found in Moanwood. Not much water though.

Tempted to go back to a spring we found few days ago, but that would cost us time.

Peg's volunteering to run back and fetch us some more. Guess we don't have a choice.

Springs Blooming, 9th day, 537 D.E

No sign of Peg.

We haven't actually gone that far, so she should have caught up with us by now.

Were gonna have to go back and look for her.

Springs Blooming, 13th day, 537 D.E

Things don't look good. We followed her tracks until they came to a sudden stop.

There's at least dozen set of smaller footprints all over the place. Some blood, and drag marks leading into the woods.

Brenda and Marge are not happy as you can imagine. They reckon she was taken by a Goblin pack.

They want some revenge, but I've made it clear to them that I won't be paying them a single coin if they put my life in any danger.

Springs Blooming, 19th day, 537 D.E

Peg had most of our water bags, so we had to go back to Timber Town and resupply.

To make sure we wouldn't have the same problem in the future, the girls decided to bring their wagon along. Allowing us to carry more supplies.

Why they didn't think of this earlier is beyond me.

Springs Retreat, 3rd day, 537 D.E

Trips taking longer than expected. Goblins and Oni have attacked us repeatedly over the past few weeks.

Brenda and Marge might not be very smart, but they can at least hold their own in a fight.

This forest is as every bit uncivilised as I have been told.

There was a nice motel along the way. Stayed there a few days and even got some more supplies. Residents were a little unsettling, however.

Aside from that, nothing else worth writing about.

Springs Retreat, 12th day, 537 D.E

Fuckin Goblins! While some of them kept the twins busy, a few of them tried to take the cart WITH ME STILL ON IT!

Now were back to having shit all for supplies!

Springs Retreat, 15th day, 537 D.E

Good news! The Goblins are dead!

Found their bodies lying on the side of the road!

Bad news. The carts gone.

So were still low on supplies.

Judging from the injuries, the twins reckon they were killed by bandits. I just hope their recent catch will keep them content until we get out of this place.

Springs Retreat, 23rd day, 537 D.E

The trees are becoming few and far in between. Marge says we've just about made to the borders of Vastum. And its about fucking time too!

Summers Rising, 4th day, 538 D.E

Well, I've had enough taking notes on the (very scarce) local wildlife. There is some food and water around, but it's not really enough to keep two Orcs happy.

And what's worse, their beginning to get restless.

They want to head back. But I want to keep going north to check out a few of the mountains.

There has to be something out there I can plunder. Something to make this journey worth the effort.

Summers Rising, 12th day, 538 D.E

It's supposed to be summer.

So why is it so fuckin cold!

Terrains pretty difficult to traverse too.

Summers Rising, 15th day, 538 D.E

Fucking weather up here is fucking crap!

The three of us are spending the night in a smelly cave because of a stupid snow storm!

There's actually a tunnel going further into the mountain were stuck on. But the girls can smell something pretty rank down there, so we might have to give this one a miss.

Shame too. I could really do with some loot.

Summers Rising (no idea what day it is anymore,) 538 D.E

How long have we been cooped up in this horrible place for?

When will this storm end?

And why do I keep hearing voices every time I keep watch!?

Summers Rising (maybe, I don't know!) 538 D.E

Finally decided to tell the girls about the voices. But they say they haven't heard anything like that during their turns. They reckon I'm just hearing things.

Their wrong….I know their real….

That aside, were running out of food again.

Wonder if Orc tastes anything like pork (really hoping they can't read either.)

No idea what day, month, year, or fucking century it is!

I lie down and close my eyes. But I don't sleep. I listen.

Marge and Brenda talk when they think I'm asleep.

They regret coming along with me. They want out. One way or another.

I can't trust them anymore. I have to watch my back, or I'm a dead man.

The damn voices don't bother me anymore. If anything, they give me comfort.

Farwell, my companions. You are no longer suffering. For it was no longer necessary.

You were my protectors. But now, in the darkness, I can see the path ahead of me.

And in silence, I must walk it alone.

DARKNESS

YOUR FORM IS PURITY

YOUR VOICE IS VALIDITY

YOU SURROUND ME

YOU LURK WITHIN ME

I CAN HEAR YOU CALLING FOR ME

TAKE ME TAKE ME TAKE ME TAKE ME TAKE ME

This world was once in balance. The forces of darkness and light, good and evil, were locked together in an eternal battle for supremacy.

And with it, the beautiful cycle of life and death followed.

But with the rising of the new demon lord, all of that has come undone. My people are dying. As are the spawn of the demon realm.

Something must be done. Someone must restore the balance.

I was only an explorer. With little purpose in life but to continuously wonder about. Avoiding my responsibilities.

But now, I am a conduit. A guardian. And a seeker.

Under the blinding sun, I will watch, and wait. I will find someone who is worthy of the great journey that lies ahead.

And with the touch of my hand, they will feel his embrace. His voice will guide them. His resolve will protect them.

And together, they will save this world.

No matter the cost.


	37. Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Not In Mine

Without a word, I closed the journal shut. Scooped up the books. And returned them to the Orc. For some odd reason (sarcasm,) seeing her eating made me feel uncomfortable. The girl was so busy in her activity, she hadn't realized I was there until I dropped the books onto the desk in front of her.

I decided to be nice and slapped her on the back until she finally dislodged the half-eaten bacon from her wind pipe. "Thanks….for that." She wheezed.

"All good." I mumbled. I turned to walk away, but my new friend didn't seem too keen to see me leave so quickly.

"So, did you find what you needed?" She asked quickly. Trying her hardest to hide her embarrassment.

Holding back a sigh, I turned back around. " I suppose." I responded quietly. " But this journal….where did it come from?"

The Orc girl closed her eyes for a moment. "I….don't know." She finally said. "That journal was here before I started working here." It made sense. The journal was over two hundred years old (or so it claims.)

"Umm, would you be interested in reading anything else?" I folded up my arms and thought for a moment. I didn't know if Gera had actually lost his marbles in a dark cave, or if it was written as some weird joke. But what I did know, was that it was bothering me way too much. I needed something to get it off my mind. And I knew exactly what I needed.

"I don't suppose you would have any books written by Tolkien, would you?" The Orc's face lit up immediately. "John Tolkien? I have his entire collection!"

"And just where have you been all day!?" Amina was quick to greet me when I returned to our room. And her mood hadn't improved at all.

For a moment, I was tempted to turn around and leave. But I quickly realised that was retarded, and decided to play it smart. "I was in the library, doing some research on Vastum." I responded calmly (ingenious!)

Her scowl quickly disappeared. "Oh." Was her response. It was only then I noticed Ren sitting on the pillow. Despite her small size, I could tell she was giving me the "Talk to her!" look.

"Look, I'm sorry if I was acting a little…." "Dicky?" Amina was kind enough to finish for me (oh, snap!)

"Yeah….that." I answered through my teeth. "Understand that I'm not interested in that cook. I was only joking around."

Amina sat herself down onto the bed. Her arms now folded. "So, you're not interested in her?" She asked me. The whole thing was starting to look like an interrogation, and I was now wondering if it was too late to run (it was, mate.)

"No." I said with all the confidence I could muster. "Ever since I left home, I've not been interested in fluffing around with any women." I then stepped closer and continued with a more serious tone. "Catching up to my brother and bringing him home is my number one concern. You guys should know this."

For a long time, Amina just stared into my eyes (technically eye.) But eventually, she broke her gaze away and stood up. "I do know this." She said softly. "I just…." The Goblin stopped and bit down on her lip. "….Yes?" I pressed.

She didn't answer. She just pushed past me and opened the door. "We should go downstairs for dinner." And before I could get another word in, she was gone.

Breakfast was bad. But dinner was just an absolute nightmare! Amina refused to talk as we ate at the table. Ren continuously shot dirty looks my way. And to make matters worse, Magenta was waiting on our table the entire time. Her cold, calculating gaze burning holes into my head as I devoured my roasted pork cutlets as quickly as I possibly could.

I knew what I should have said to her: "I'm not interested in that cook. Because I already belong to you." Or some other heart throbbing bullshit that would have been as meaningful and sincere as giving a band aid to a guy suffering a heart attack!

I'm not some smooth-talking womanizer, or love-sick puppy dog! I'm a fracking one-eyed teenage boy, that's dragged his poorly organized ass out the front gate, chasing after a crazy cat bitch that's abducted his stupid little brother!

So I'm sorry Amina. I'm sorry Ren. I'm sorry to all the horny Monster Girls out there! But I've got better things to do right now than to have my fucking meat stick sucked on! GAHHH!

….Moving on. My trip to the bathroom was unusually quiet and lonely. As was my sleep. Amina stayed on her side of the bed, with Ren sleeping on her chest. It was strange. I felt cold, and empty inside. "Was this love sickness?" I thought to myself.

The very idea of such a thing really pissed me off. I made another mistake. But this time, those two were taking the cold shoulder shit way too far. But worst of all, I was letting it get to me. Eating away at my heart like a disease. "Are all women this manipulative?" I muttered to myself (….)

I woke up the next morning with the familiar sensation of a little Goblin clinging to my arm, and an even littler Fairy curled up on my head. For a moment, I was relived they finally decided to forgive me. But the memories of the night before quickly snapped me out of my little daze and returned me to my bitter mood.

Very carefully, I pulled Ren off my head and placed her onto the pillow. I then began the much more difficult task of pulling Amina off me. This was difficult because Amina had a very strong grip on my arm.

Eventually, both girls were off me, and I was able to pull my clothes back on and leave the room. It was still very early in the morning. The sun was only beginning to rise, and it was quite cold as well.

I didn't really know why I walked out of there, or what I was going to do next. Just having those two cuddling me so intimately made me feel….uncomfortable. Like when you steal some sweets from the kitchen. It tastes good. But leaves you feeling dirty and low afterwards.

Making my way down stairs, I wondered what I was going to do while everyone was still asleep. The door leading into the library and kitchen would likely be locked up at this hour (so no food or books for us.) I was tempted to go outside for a walk. But then I remembered the Gargoyles outside and shuddered. I wasn't sure if they were 'friendly' to their guests, and I didn't want to find out.

The answer to my problem appeared the moment I had reached the ground floor. "Good morning, sir." Came a familiar voice. I looked up and saw Magenta sitting on the couch that sat opposite to the reception desk. In her hands was what appeared to be a small book.

I wasn't really a big fan of Magenta. Nor did she seem particularly fond of me. But she was reading a book. And to me, that was a good enough reason to sit down beside her and start a conversation up. "You like to read too, huh?" The Zombie maid stared at me for a few moments. Seemingly shocked by the sudden turn of event (me too.)

"Yes." She responded flatly. She then turned away from me. I was ready to get up and walk away when she turned back to face me again. Her expression had softened considerably. And It wasn't hard for me to notice that her pale cheeks had gone faintly pink. "I….have you read this one before?" She asked me. Holding up the book for me to see the cover (and hide her face.)

It was 'Oliver Twist'. "I'm not familiar with this book." I answered. "But I have read Christmas Carol." Magenta lowered the book and continued to read it. "What do you think of Charles Dickens work?" She asked me quietly. I looked down to my hands as I considered her question. I was never really good at explaining these sort of things to people. But I had nothing better to do.

"His stories….fill me with sadness." I began. "There's pain, and uncertainty in his words." I then looked up at Magenta, who was now completely enraptured with what I was saying. "But amongst all that pain and sorrow, there is hope. A struggle. For something more. Something better. Something that may or may not be there. Just….something."

I'm a thinker, okay? I read books. I listen to people talk. And I pick up on things that others might not (did that sound like a rhyme to you?) When I read a book, I can feel the atmosphere it was intended to create. I can understand the thoughts and emotions being poured into every page and every word.

Magenta had tears in her eyes. A rotting hand pressed tenderly on her chest as though her heart was about to start beating again. I quickly realized what I was doing and jumped to my feet. I actually wanted to talk to you about something!" I announced a little louder than necessary.

What did I want to talk to her about? I had no fracking clue! It sounded like a good idea in my head. Magenta slowly snapped out of her little daze and wiped the tears off her face. She then stood up and spoke in her usual professional tone. "What did you wish to talk about?"

(Be careful what you say to her.) "For the last few days, you've been acting a little strange around me." (That's it, I'm out of here!)


	38. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Well, I'll Be Damned

Magenta stared into my eye. Seemingly at a loss for words. And I in turn, stared awkwardly back at her. It felt like we were having a standoff (A very awkward standoff.) But I felt strangely liberated when the words left my big mouth.

Maybe this wasn't a mistake after all. Maybe there was something else going on that I should be aware of. That strange dream I had the night before. I could only remember a few parts of it (the scream in particular.) Did she have something to do with it?

I tilted my head slightly. "Well?"

Magenta blinked a few times, then looked away from me. For the last few days, I had myself believing Magenta was a dry, emotionless deadpan. Nothing more than a walking corpse, with basic training and etiquette drilled into her hollow head.

But there she was. Standing there, fiddling with her hands. Her lips would open and close as though she was trying to speak. But nothing would come out. And her pale, decaying cheeks continued to flush a faint shade of pink. Was my question a little personal? (Yep!)

A few more uncomfortable moments went by before the Zombie maid finally decided to answer my question.

"You….don't know what this place is. Do you?"

Not quite the answer I was expecting.

"It's a motel." I answered nonchalantly.

Magenta just stared at me.

"….A haunted motel?" I offered more hesitantly.

Still nothing. Just a blank stare (did I break her?) At this point, I was starting to get angry, and threw my arms into the air.

Look, what more do you want from me, woman!?" I exclaimed.

"When I asked Ren and Amina where this road would lead to, they….well, Ren told me it was a haunted motel! Looking at the exterior of the place during a thunder storm, I saw a haunted motel!"

I then gestured to room we were currently standing in.

With this room being the exception, when I saw the interior of this place, guess what I saw!? A haunted motel! I think I was even attacked by a GHOST the first night we were here! So, when you ask me what I think this place is! I will tell you that THIS is a haunted, fracking, motel!"

Magenta continued to stare blankly at me as I took a few deep breaths. Then a smile began to form on her face. Then she began to giggle. Which in turn, became a cackling laughter that threatened to awaken the entire building!

"W-what's up with you!?" I shouted.

"I'm….I'm so sorry, sir." Magenta struggled to say between heavy breaths. "But you are….absolutely adorable."

It was my turn to stare at her this time. Although, my expression would have looked a little more confused and embarrassed than hers had.

"Didn't any of you know this place was a bordello?"

Her tone was sincere. But there was nothing she could do to hide her amusement. And I really couldn't blame her. A bordello was a fancy word for brothel. This place was a fracking brothel (oh, the horror!)

"You're not joking around, are you." I said in a subdued tone.

Magenta shook her head slowly. She was no longer laughing. But she still had a faint smirk on her face.

"I'm afraid not. I was surprised to see someone so young pay us a visit."

"Well, yeah. I'm only thirteen." I responded defensively. "So, is everyone here a prostitute?" I probably could have worded that a bit better (you think!?)

"That is correct. Although, those people from Wonderland were just guests having a birthday party." She explained. " But now that I think about it, a number of them seemed to have taken an interest in you that night.

" She then flashed me a wicked grin.

"Especially that Cheshire Cat."

The look on my face must have been very amusing, because the Zombie maid was soon giggling away again.

It was then that I suddenly realized my companions had been none the wiser. Or so it seemed. Did neither of them know this place was a whorehouse? Ren didn't seem to know. But Amina….Amina!

"Amina was rather hesitant of coming here." I said aloud. "I thought it was because she was afraid of spooks."

"That may well have been the case." Magenta offered gently. "Amina told everyone the night before she was still a virgin, after all."

But then she placed a hand under her chin and thought for a moment.

"Although, it is common for Monster Girls to remain a virgin for a number of decades. Given that they outnumber men by a considerable amount."

I was just about ready to bring this topic to an end (please.) But Magenta had other ideas (seriously!?)

"Anyway." She began in a more professional tone. "That's not quite what I was trying to say earlier."

I narrowed my eye.

"What do you mean?"

"Well….there were a few things that surprised me." She then turned her gaze to the counter. Behind it, I could hear the faint sounds of snoring. "When you first saw Amelia, for example. What did you think of her?"

I thought carefully for a moment before answering.

"I thought she was cute." I answered. "I thought she was adorable. I wanted to pick her up, and give her a big hug."

Magenta smiled endearingly.

"That's very sweet. But what else?"

"….What else?" I repeated. "What do you mean?"

Magenta started to look uncomfortable again. "You….said you were thirteen, correct?"

I quickly caught on to what she was getting at.

" Yes. And I have reached puberty, if that's what your wondering." I answered. Now struggling to hold my composure.

She raised a fake eyebrow and regarded me for a moment.

"Have you really?" She asked me suspiciously.

"I most certainly have!" I shouted angrily.

"But you didn't seem even a little bit interested in her." The maid stated accusingly. "Sexually speaking."

"That's because I wasn't! She might be older than me, but she still has the body of a bloody five-year-old!"

"You don't understand. She's a Dormouse. A Monster Girl from Wonderland." She explained tentatively. "When men enter this building, she's usually the first one to greet them. And because her body radiates demonic energy, her presence alone can, and will, make men very frisky."

"I'm well aware of what her kind can do." I responded. It made sense too. Having a Dormouse at the counter to get customers into the mood would be a very effective marketing tactic (You're starting to sound like a pimp!)

"But I just assumed she had her pheromones switched off when I was around."

Magenta had to force back another giggle.

"She can't turn her pheromones on and off like a light, you know?" She told me. "I don't think there are any that can."

I wasn't sure what to focus on. The part where Monster Girls are seemingly always letting off their love fumes. Or the concept of turning on and off a source of light (what sorcery is this!?)

"Wait….your saying I should be getting horny when I'm around her?" I asked her nervously.

"Well, if you have sexually matured as you say you have, yes."

I was curious. I needed to know for certain. I walked over to the counter and, after a nervous pause, tapped the bell. Right on cue, I could hear Amelia giving a horribly sweet yawn. And there she was. On the counter. Right in front of me. Sleepy and sweet as she had always been.

"Can I help you with something, sir?"

I didn't answer. I just stared at her. Waiting for her mere presence to put me into heat (weirdo.)

About twenty seconds went by before Amelia began to realize what I was doing. She didn't seem frightened or uncomfortable. Which was rather surprising. She looked more confused than anything else.

"You did ring the bell, didn't you?" She asked. "Or am I just…."

The Dormouse let out a high-pitched squeal as I hoisted her up into my air. Holding her close to my face, I waited for my nose to work its magic.

Amelia tried to struggle for a few moments. But unlike Amina, who was a similar size to her, this little mouse had the strength of a toddler at best.

"P-please be gentle!" She squeaked timidly.

I found the whole thing to be adorable. But I wasn't smelling, or feeling anything. Desperate times called for desperate measures. You know when a dog finds something new and tries to figure it out by sniffing the crap out of it? Yep. I'll admit, I've had better ideas (Hahaha!)

Magenta, who had been standing behind me, observing, erupted into laughter as she watched the strange spectacle unfold. Amelia, meanwhile, began to struggle again. But she quickly relented to my serious sniffing business. And by the time I had given up and put her back down again, she was fast asleep.

"I don't get t." I said to Magenta as she gently laid Amelia back into her bed. "I could smell her skin. Her Hair. Even her Clothing."

"But no pheromones." She finished for me. "Your certain you've sexually matured?"

I rolled my eye. "Look, as much as I'd enjoy pulling down my trousers and showing you a boner, I ask that you take my word for it."

"But that shouldn't be possible." Magenta argued. "All men should be affected by her pheromones, in some way or other." She then gestured a hand towards me. "But you say you can't even smell it."

"Yeah…. Weird."

"It's not just weird. It's unnatural. But what surprises me most, is that you seemed completely unaffected at that party."

"Yeah….Yeah! All I could smell that night was sweat and perfume!"

I then paused and scratched my head nervously. "I felt a little turned on every once in a while. But that was when I had a girl on my shoulders, and people were starting to take off their clothes."

The Zombie maid smirked at my little side comment.

"But that's normal." She explained softly. "Regardless of species."

"So, why am I like this?" I said sullenly. "Is something wrong with me?"

"No." Magenta answered firmly. "You're just a bit different. This could even be a rare blessing from the Chief God."

I did a double take on Magenta. Its true that the Chief God has given people special abilities in the past. And a number of them possessed the power to fight back the seductive callings of monster girls.

But why the hell would he bless me of all people? My family acknowledges his existence. But we've always worshipped the old gods of Himinndómr. Such as Fylkir, the cloud lord. And his spear maiden, Asger.

"My family don't even worship him." I said dismissively.

"The Chief God doesn't bless people because they suck up to him." Magenta laughed.

"He way have chosen you for an important task the very day you were born. A birthright for a future champion."

I didn't like the sound of that. All I wanted was to find Sherwin and bring him home. End of story. Unless, that had something to do with it. Could it?

"Born with special power?" I muttered to myself. "Never to be….affected?"

I remembered. I remembered the day Amina took me inside that mansion she had be living in. I remembered being hugged from behind by that Succubus, Gamila. The softness. The warmth. The smell. Hell, even the sound of her voice drove me absolutely insane (*howls like a wolf*)

And that wasn't the only time. Back when I was snatched by that Sahuagin, she had some kind of affect on me. I could feel my willpower being drained away. If Amina hadn't been there, I would probably still be behind that waterfall.

So, no. I wasn't born with this power. It was given to me. But was it a gift from the big guy in the sky? (stop rhyming!) And when did this even happen?

"Um, is something wrong?"

I jumped at the sound of Magenta's voice.

"Ah! Yeah! I'm good, I'm good!" I responded awkwardly.

"Your probably right. The Chief Gods probably chosen me for some silly holy mission, or something. No idea what, but I'm sure I'll find out later."

Magenta, with a concerned look on her face, tried to put a hand on my shoulder. But I stepped back and began to make my way back up the stairs. Praying to every god I knew that she wouldn't try to follow me.

"Anyways, I should probably wake up the girls." I said over my shoulder.

"Thanks for the talk, Magenta. It was very interesting. See you later!"

And that was it. I was gone.

Making my way to our room, I thought back to that dream I had earlier. Still couldn't remember much. But I didn't feel right when I woke up. I felt as though I had been contaminated with something really nasty. And there has only been one other time I have ever felt that way before.

All those weeks ago, when I was having my eye taken out, I had a weird dream too. Just like the other one, I could only remember a few bits of it. But I was asleep for more than two days. Two days! And when I finally woke up, I felt like absolute shit.

This happened before that encounter with the Sahuagin. But those dreams had to mean something.

I had no idea what had happened to me, or why. But this wasn't a blessing.

This was a curse.


	39. Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Thank You And Goodnight

"Is this really necessary, big guy?"

I rolled my eye before turning around to face Ren. She had decided to follow me as I was carrying my things to another room, which was further down the corridor.

"What's the problem?"

"You're the problem!" She exclaimed. "I know we gave you a hard time yesterday, but you don't have to do this!"

I was tempted to start shouting back at her. But I realized that was a bad idea, and bit down on my lip before giving her yet another explanation on why I was doing this.

"Look, I'm not mad at you guys." I said calmly (at the moment, that is.) "This has nothing to do with it. I just…."

I scratched my head uncomfortable. "I need a few nights to myself. Ok?"

Ren stared blankly at me for a moment. Then came one of her classic "I know what's going on" smiles.

"Ooooh. I see how it is." She whispered coyly. Next thing I know, she's whispering into my ear.

"Is your little friend feeling a little lonely?" (Nah, I'm good.)

I immediately grabbed her by the feet and held her upside down. But I quickly remembered she was wearing a skirt and released her just as quickly.

"What was that about!?" She shouted. More surprised than anything else.

"Punishment." I answered flatly, before turning around and continuing my way to my destination.

I was thankful that Ren decided to leave me alone after that. What I wasn't thankful for, was seeing Magenta waiting for me outside the door.

I had taken every possible precaution to avoid having any alone time with her after our little chat. When I asked Amelia for a room of my own, I took the key right away. And when she asked me if I wanted my things taken to the new room, I said "No thanks. I can handle it." But there she was. Waiting for me.

"I have prepared you your room, sir." Magenta greeted in her usual tone.

"Ah. Thanks." I responded awkwardly.

Rather than wait for things to get awkward, I put my things down and stepped forward to open the door (good call.) But as I did this, Magenta went to pick my stuff up, and it looked as though she was going to follow me into my room (shit!)

"Oh! You don't have to do that for me!" I said assertively. Pulling my things out of her hands before she could protest.

"Are you sure there's…."

"No, no. That should be all, thank you. Goodnight!"

I closed the door shut behind me. And I was finally alone.

It was really weird. The room was just about identical to the last one. Well, subtracting Ren and Amina from the equation.

"….Amina." I found myself saying out loud.

The girls seemed a little surprised when I told them I was going to sleep alone for the remainder of our stay here. Ren, unsurprisingly, was quick to complain about it. But Amina, very surprisingly, took it rather well.

She actually seemed to be in a really good today.

She didn't glare at me when Cinnamon served me my breakfast in the shape of a love heart (lame.)

She left me alone when I headed to the library to read some books (nerd!)

The late afternoon was spent with the three of us playing a board game called snakes and ladders (god, your killing me.)

We even had a peaceful soak in the bath. Nothing cheesy. Nothing awkward or intimate. We just relaxed, and enjoyed each other's company (I'm gonna hurl!)

Ren decided to wait until I was packing my things before asking me any questions. Which I was thankful for. But for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to look Amina in the face.

She didn't seem that upset though! She even wished me a good night with a tender smile before I had left.

An uncomfortable thought began to form in my mind. Was Amina pretending to be ok? Was I actually being a little harsh? I wasn't trying to be. I just didn't like the idea of being around them with this weird shit going on.

But then a new idea came along. Maybe she was thinking the same thing Ren was. Do they talk about that sort of stuff when I'm not around?

Such a horrible thought shook me back to my senses.

"Pull yourself together mate." I muttered to myself.

"You need to figure this shit out."

(You mean masturbating?)

"Shut up."

(Hee-hee!)

Stripping down to my breeches, I sat myself down onto the bed. By now, the sun had well and truly gone down. A candle on the bedside table was already lit. Giving the room a warm, homely glow.

I was already tempted to turn in for the night. But I needed to use the time I had to figure out what was wrong with me, and how to fix it.

Unfortunately, I had no idea what I was doing ( have you tried rubbing it?)

The Orc librarian (still don't know her name) was a little surprised when I asked her for books on curses. I told her it was just a hobby, but I'm not sure she really believed me (how strange, that is.)

In any case, she provided me a good number of books on such matters. But Most of them were just story books that told tales of people suffering from things that ranged from having continuous hiccupping, to spending an eternity with maggots eating their insides.

A few of them explained how such curses can be inflicted, and eventually cured. But so far, none of them matched my own symptoms. Sadly, I wasn't allowed to take any of the books outside of the library (house rules,) otherwise, I would have spent the entire night going through them all.

After some careful consideration, I decided I would be better off turning in for the night, continuing my studies tomorrow. My only concern was that Ren and Amina would get in my way. How right I was.

It was the crack of dawn when I got up the next morning. This meant the kitchens, and soon the library, would be open again.

Pulling my clothes back on, I made my way to the door and opened it.

"Sweetie!" Amina squealed.

"Big Guy!" Ren Cheered.

"Huh?" Was all I could get out before being knocked to the ground.

Amina wrapped her freakishly strong arms around my neck. Nuzzling her face against one of my cheeks.

Ren was on the other. Tickling it with kisses that felt like little rain drops.

"You guys are up unusually early." I said awkwardly.

"We missed you." Amina explained as she continued to cling to my clothes.

"Yeah! We missed you!" Ren said in agreement.

I continued to lie on the ground. Waiting patiently for my friends to get off me.

Five minutes go by.

"You guys done yet?" I asked them expectantly.

"Nope!" They shouted in unison.

Ten minutes.

"How about now?"

"Not yet!"

Fifteen minutes.

"Alright, I'm getting hungry."

I tried to pull myself up. But the girls (mostly Amina) easily pulled me back down again.

"Nooooo! We're not finished yet!"

"Just a little longer!"

Another ten minuets went by before those two finally decided to let me go. But my problems were far from over.

At breakfast, Ren sat on my shoulder. Munching way at her bacon rather loudly in my ear. But Amina. Amina had set herself up so she was squished right up next to me. And she insisted on feeding me, and wiping my own mouth as though I were a fracking child!

Once that was finally over, the two of them dragged me outside for some fresh air. The weather was still pretty bad. And the road was essentially a giant mud pit. But it wasn't as cold and windy as it was earlier. Indicating that the storm had just about passed over. Autumn was officially here.

I was just about ready to go back inside to do some more reading, when Ren suddenly came up the brilliant idea of starting a mud fight. I had work to do. But there was no way I wasn't going to walk away after taking a direct hit to the face by that rotten little Fairy.

It was actually a lot of fun. And all it took was one poorly aimed ball of mud to get Amina involved too (so glad you have your priorities sorted.)

Then we had a mud castle competition. Amina and I did a good job building our little mud towers. But Ren was the clear winner. Using her tiny little hands, she created an amazing replica of the castle back in Vila.

Looking at her masterpiece made me think back to our time in the Fairy Kingdom.

We were there for about two weeks, now that I think about it. And I'll never forget it. Being dragged into a failed coup. Duelling with Fidelis. Being taken prisoner. Rescuing Yusha from those Werebats. The encounter with Freyja. The reunions and celebrations in the end. But most importantly, the friends I had made along the way (good times, good times.)

It was only when Ren started to sneeze, that we decided to head back inside. After apologizing repeatedly to Magenta for the mud we were tracking on the carpet, we headed upstairs and had a warm bath.

Only when I had gotten out of the water, was I finally able to break away from my companions to do some much-needed reading. After a few hours of fruitless searching, I finally gave up to have some dinner.

Amina noticed something was wrong when we ate. But I still didn't want either of them to know what was going on, and simply said "I'm just a little tired."

Ren tried again that night to coax me into joining them in their room. I declined. But chose to give them both a good night hug before leaving. I finally realized that they thought they were neglecting me. Which was why they were giving me so much unwanted attention today (those little angels!)

I knew I was running out of time. The weather wasn't going to improve any more than it had already for quite some time. And I considered my stupid brother to be a greater concern than some curse that may not even be that bad of a thing!

This was going to be our last day here, and I was going to make it count.

I just about swallowed my breakfast whole before bolting for the library. Ignoring Ren's protests as I did so.

One disappointing book after another, I searched, and searched, all bloody afternoon, and was having no luck at all!

Amina came to visit me when it was about time for lunch, but I told her I wasn't hungry. Then Ren came by a bit later to see what I was doing. Sitting over my shoulder as I scanned every single page for every meticulous detail I could find.

"Why are you reading so many books on curses?" She asked me. Her tone heavy with suspicion.

"Because I like curse." I answered flatly. Refusing to be distracted by her.

"Oh. Ok then." She responded in an unassuming manner.

"Is that why you were so excited about coming here?"

"Yep."

"Seeing as Ghost's and Demons are well known for cursing people."

"Yep."

"I bet there's a whole bunch of cursed Ghost's in this place!"

"Yep."

The next five minutes were rather quiet.

And the it happened. Ren's words. They suddenly hit me. So hard, in fact, I launched myself into the air and screamed "GHOST'S!"

Ren screamed as she flew off my shoulder. And nearby, I could hear the sound of a pig squealing, followed by a dozen books hitting the ground.

"What's up with you all of a sudden!?" Ren shouted angrily.

I grabbed a hold of Ren and hugged her to my chest.

"Ren, you're a genius!" I shouted proudly

"W-well, yeah! Of course I am!" She exclaimed. Unable to stop herself from blushing (so cute!)

I quickly let her go and headed for the door.

"Wait! Where are you….oh, whatever."


	40. Chapter 37

Chapter 37: The Way Is Shut

To say that I was in an uncomfortable situation would have been an understatement. It was late in the night. I should have been in bed. Instead, I was outside, clinging to a stone wall for dear life.

I had a very simple plan.

Step one: Sneak out of my room (easy.)

Step two: Find a Ghost (also easy.)

Step three: Use the Ghost to enter my own mind (that's a tad weird.)

And step four: Find out what's inside of me (weirdo.)

There were just three problems: Ren, Amina, and Magenta.

I knew at least one of them would've started asking me questions at dinner, so I decided to pretend I was sick, and spent the rest of the day in my room.

All three of them knocked on my door a number of times, hoping to talk to me. But I was not interested in having any guests, and simply told them to let me rest.

I had a horrible feeling they were getting suspicious of my strange behaviour, and was worried that wondering idly around the mansion, looking for a ghost, would likely result in me being caught. I needed a plan B.

I didn't like it. But I couldn't see any other way of doing this. Very carefully, I climbed out of my window, and up the wall. The plan was to get up onto the roof, and look for some way into the attic. It seemed like a good place to look for ghosts (obviously.)

This wasn't the first time I've had to climb so high off the ground before. And the stone walls had plenty of gaps and edges for me to get my fingers into. It was still a little damp from the recent storm, but it wasn't dangerously slippery.

But there was one more little benefit that I was not expecting. Night vision. Had the skies been clear, and the moon nice and bright, I would have been able to see quite well. But the skies were still filled with thick storm clouds.

It should have been impossible for me to see. But it wasn't. It was a though my entire surroundings had been covered in a fine layer of silver dust. Highlighting everything around me in a wide diameter. A little too far, considering I could see the ground below. A daunting reminder on how high up I was.

But soon enough, the battlements lining the roof became my next concern. They were old, rusty, and sharp. Crawling over these things would hurt, and possibly cause an infection (and not the sexual kind either.)

But then I had an idea. With one hand, I grabbed one of the spikes and tried to bend it. Despite its condition, the rusted spike refused to budge. I tried another one. No good. Then another. Also no good.

The next five minuets were spent moving along the edge of the roof. Testing every single spike for any signs of weakness. But I was beginning to suspect that this place was not what it seemed. Magic could be keeping this place intact. So brute force wasn't going to be enough.

Cursing under my breath, I climbed back down, and into the window again. I remerged shortly after, carrying my pack. Inside were three blankets I had found under my bed. Very carefully, I threw them over one section of the battlements. Hoping they would be enough to protect me from the spikes.

It took a number of attempts. And I knew that at least one of the blankets now had holes in it (sorry Magenta.) But with a great deal of effort, I managed to pull myself up and over the battlements, and onto the roof.

I couldn't really tell if whether or not the roof was made of stone like it's walls were, because it was covered in a thick layer of moss and bird droppings. And from up here, I could faintly hear two voices coming down from the entranceway (probably those Gargoyles.)

Over to my right, I could see the chimney. Like the roof, it was covered in moss. It was actually a lot bigger that than what I had expected. And there was no more smoke billowing out of it.

I found myself walking over to it. Asking myself "What do I do now?" It was then that my foot caught something in the ground. Sending me face first into the moss and bird droppings (bahahaha!)

Wiping the crap off my face, I pulled myself back to my feet. Looking for what had tripped me over. There was a small lump of moss sticking out of the mass. Puling some of it away, I found what looked like a simple turning mechanism. Pulling some more of the moss out, I realised I had literally stumbled upon a hatch, leading straight down into the what I had to assume was the attic!

I couldn't help but grin at my ridiculous stroke of luck. "This must be my night." I chuckled smugly to myself.

(It's probably locked.)

"It had better not be."

It was locked.

"Son of a bitch."

(Told you so.)

"Fuck off."

(Make me!)

"You're asking for it!"

"Oo ya talkin to?" came a masculine voice.

(Alright, I'm leaving.)

"I'm talking…." I spun myself around and Reached for my bow. But then remembered that I hadn't brought any weapons with me. It wasn't by accident. I didn't think my arrows or knife would have worked on a Ghost, and I wasn't ballsy enough to test that theory out.

Standing….or floating right in front of me, was a middle-aged man. He was wearing a woollen coat, but with some of his buttons undone, I could also see he had a chainmail hauberk underneath. Looking at the banded kettle helm on his head, the quiver of arrows strapped to his hip, and the long bow in his hand, I realised that this guy was an Archer. A very unhappy Archer.

"Who are you!?" I shouted in surprise.

The man blinked.

"Oo am I!?" He shouted back. "Oo are you!?"

"I'm Bain Kolf-Skot!"

"Heeey! What's going on up there!?"

"….Just a second lad."

The ghostly guardsmen moved over to the edge of the roof and shouted down to the Gargoyles with a fist raised in the air.

"Mind yer bums wax, ya stone faced, scuttlebutting slags!"

And then, ignoring the harsh responses from below, he made his way back to me. The harsh name calling had seemingly put him in a good mood, as he was no longer frowning.

"Der names Ailill Brady, an I'm da poor git in charge of watchin over dis ere kip!"

I scratched my head awkwardly as I tried to put together what he had just said.

"Kip?"

The man laughed loudly before pointing downwards.

"Dis here, laddie!" He responded cheerfully.

"A real rotten one at dat! But I've bin watchin over it for…."

He paused. Pulled off his helmet, and began to scratch his balding head.

"Wut month is et lad?"

"Autumn's….Dew?" I answered nervously.

"Oh!" He said. "Nut very lon then! Bout six months!"

He then frowned as he pulled his helmet back on.

"But it's felt onger than dat, now dat I think on it."

The odd fella shook his head and continued before I could take the conversation any further (drat.)

"Anyway, wat do ya think yer doin up here, laddie?" He said in a somewhat more serious manner.

"yer not a thief, I'm hopin."

"No." I responded indifferently.

A toothy smile began to form on his face.

"Den, you're a cheeky Rossie, that's hoping ta have a shag!" He shouted in a condescending manner (the nerve!)

"I was looking for a ghost." I explained firmly.

Again, Ailill's eyes narrowed as he regarded me.

"Well….ya don look like no chancer. But what would ya be foostering ere for?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Dis eres a brothel, ya know?"

"Yes. A haunted brothel."

Ailill shook his head slowly.

"First time I ever urd of dis!"

This was starting to get confusing. And a little annoying too. This guy didn't even seem to be aware of the fact that he was dead. This meant that he wouldn't be willing, and perhaps even capable of possessing my brain!

"Look, can I please have a look in the attic?" I asked through my teeth.

"Suppose it be right." He answered with a shrug.

We stared at each other for a few awkward moments.

"Then, could you please unlock the hatch?" I said rather slowly.

Ailill looked at me. Then to the hatch. And back to me again.

"It's already open, ya dope!" He shouted rather rudely.

I looked back down to the hatch. It was clearly closed.

"It's closed."

"It's open!"

"It's closed!"

"It's effin open!"

"It's fracking closed!"

Once again, one of the Gargoyles decided to butt into our conversation.

" Oi! What's going on up there, Ailill!?"

Ailill was about to shout something back to her, but I had beaten him to the punch. I was tired, hungry, and royally pissed off (give it to her!)

"Shut the hell up, ya brown-nosing tart! We're talking!" (Oh, snap!)

A stunned silence followed. Outbursts like that were quite rare for me. I usually just rolled with it. But not this time. And then I remembered where I was, and what I was doing. If Magenta found out I was up here, I could end up in a lot of trouble.

A cold, misty hand on my shoulder snapped me out of my thoughts as Ailill began to laugh.

"Fair play, boyo!" He shouted proudly. "Ya showed her, didn't ya!"

"let's get back to the topic, please." I said between breaths."

"Look, laddie, the hatch is already open!" He stated firmly.

I decided to prove him wrong with a demonstration. I stepped on top of the hatch and looked at him expectantly.

"Well?"

The poor man jumped (or floated) back. A look of absolute surprise and bewilderment on his ghostly face.

"I must be locked, coz it looks like yer floating in da air!" (FUUUUUCK!)

"Take a look at me, mate!" I shouted furiously. "Can't you see that I'm standing on a closed hatch!"

I then began to jump up and down on the bloody thing as Ailill continued to gawk at me.

"I. Am. Standing. On. The… CRASH!

Now, to be fair, I probably should have seen this coming. I assumed the entire exterior was being kept together by magic. Which is why I was rather surprised when the hatch suddenly gave way to my weight, and I found myself falling a good number of feet down. Hitting the ground below with a loud THUD!

I opened my eye after the impact, and found myself in a horrible place. Everything was dark. All I could see was what appeared to be a barrage of flashing lights that seemed to be pouring down like rain. Said streaks of light felt like cold needles as they pierced my flesh. Making my body spasm and shake uncontrollably.

I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't even scream. I was trapped.

Thoughts began to rush through my head. But they in turn, began to develop a life of their own. Whispering all around me. Their numbers and intensity increasing with each passing second.

"Where am I?" "Where am I?" "Where am I?"

"Why can't I move?" "Why can't I move?" "Why can't I move?"

"This place!" "This place!" "This place!"

" **No way out!" "No way out!" "No way out!"**

" **STOP IT!" "STOP IT!" "STOP IT!"**


	41. Chapter 38

Chapter38: Blast From The Past

I remember an old saying: It was curiosity that killed the cat.

I'm grateful that my curiosity didn't actually get me killed. But as I laid on the ground, unmoving, my head filled to the brim with horrible screams, I wondered to myself "Am I going to die here?"

My answer was the beautiful sensation of a bubble being popped inside my head. The pain went away immediately. As did the screams and flashing streaks of light. I was finally alone. Waiting for Nár to take my soul as I floated peacefully in the darkness (such a drama queen!)

I then suddenly realized that my heart was still beating, and decided to open my eye to see where I was (good idea!)

I couldn't see anything (you get an A for effort!)

"Helooooo?" I called out.

No response.

Except for the sudden flash of sunlight.

Cursing loudly to myself, I shielded my sensitive eye with a hand until it had adjusted to my new surroundings and soon realised I was in a very familiar place. Home.

In front of me was the old wooden fence, which, for so many years, I believed had kept me safe from the dangers of the outside world. Only looking at it now did I realize that it had done very little to stop Kat from snatching Sherwin away.

In fact, all those Monster Girls I had seen pass through here could easily have abducted us in a blink of an eye if they really wanted to. A five-foot-high barrier made of mouldy old wood wouldn't have stopped them. The Gate didn't even have a lock on it! All it really did was stop us from wandering away from home. Something my dumb brother would've done frequently if given the opportunity.

Turning around, I could see the front of our little farm house. Was it always that small and rundown? Probably was. I just didn't notice until now. It hasn't even been a month since I last saw this place. But it's felt like years.

It was at this point that I realised I wasn't alone. Standing right next to me was a little girl with hair and skin that had a similar shade of white as Ren's. She was noticeably smaller than me, and looked to be no older than six. But what got my attention most was her eyes. The iris and sclera were a dull shade of grey with no pupils to be seen. She was like a blank canvass in human form.

"I hope you don't mind." she said in a calm voice. "I thought you'd feel more comfortable in a familiar environment."

"I guess." I responded with a shrug.

I didn't mind being back here. Although, it would have been nice if she wore some….

"Oh, sorry. I knew I forgot something."

The small girl threw her arms into the air. And from out of nowhere, white cottons buds began to congregate around her body. Meshing together into something that reminded me of Amina's nightgown (that was weird.)

"Is this better?"

"Are you another Ghost?"

"No, I'm not."

"You look like one."

"I didn't really know how to introduce myself to you. So I decided to go for a look that matched your personality."

"Should I be offended?"

A faint smile formed on her lips.

"That's up to you."

"Who are you, and what are you?"

Said smile was replaced with an adorable frown.

"Your quite rude, aren't you?"

"Small talks over." I explained bluntly. "I want to know what's happening to me, and why."

Our discussion was suddenly interrupted by the sound of the front door being pulled open, and I suddenly found myself looking at….myself, walking out of the house with a book in my arms.

Sherwin soon followed after me. But seeing that I'm busy reading under the apple tree, decides to entertain himself with a stick. Swinging it about like a sword. And then he began to sing.

"Up on the hill and past the mill, an evil demon I must kill. Mighty monster turn and flee, or else I stab you one two three!"

I quickly turned on my captor with a sudden surge of anger.

"Are you serious!?" I shouted furiously.

The pale girl blinked a few times.

"What's the matter?"

"What's the matter!? I'm trying to have a proper conversation with you, and you've suddenly decided to send me back down memory lane!"

"But….this is the reason you left home. "This is what brought the two of us together."

"So what!? This stuffs private!"

"It wasn't my intention to cause you any offence."

I noticed her voice was beginning to crack. Was I over reacting (maybe a….

"I would say so!" She suddenly shouted (now, that was just rude!)

"Please stop reading my mind."

"I can't just stop reading your mind! My soul has temporarily fused with yours!"

"….What?"

"A visitor!"

I couldn't help but shudder as I watched myself pull myself up from my reading spot and shuffle over to the fence to greet….her.

It was then that my companion began to pull me in their direction with surprising strength.

"Look, just come over here and watch what happens. And then I'll answer some of your questions."

"Only some of them?"

"Just shut up and watch."

With no other options, I watched with silent loathing as Kat walked over to greet the other me and my brother with her horribly sweet voice.

"My name is Kat, nya! (I know it is) I'm looking for a husband! (No shit) Are either of you interested, nya?" (Nár, take my soul!)

The clear embarrassment and discomfort on my younger self's face made me feel sick.

"Oh, um, that's very kind of you to offer. But were both a bit little for that!" This is followed by a horrible attempt to laugh off the tension.

Of course, this doesn't work as Kat suddenly pulls Sherwin into her filthy little claws.

"That's ok, sweetie! I can wait a few years for this one to grow a little, nya!"

I couldn't help but wonder if things could've happened differently as I watched myself leap over the fence and confront my brothers captor.

"I doubt you could have done anything else to prevent this." The girl next to me said flatly.

"That doesn't make me feel any better." I responded darkly. Flinching as I watched Kat slash my face with one of her claws.

"Ahhhh, shit!"

I was only then, when my past self fell to the floor, holding a hand over his bleeding face, did everything around me turn dark. Floating in nothingness, the two of us were completely alone.

"To be honest, I don't actually have a name." She said to me with a small hint of disappointment.

"And I'm not entirely sure what I am either."

I responded with a snort.

"It's the truth."

"Whatever." I grumbled. "Why are you inside of me?"

"I want to help you."

"To what end?"

"To help save an innocent life."

"I don't believe you?"

The nameless one clasped a hand over her head and groaned.

"You're really something, you know that?"

"I'm a young man, in a world full of Monster Girls. Cut me some slack."

"Look, just trust me on this, okay? You need my help."

"I've got more help than I can handle." I chortled.

It was then that the air around me suddenly got a little toasty. The muscles and bones in my back began to hurt. And a sharp ringing pierced my ears.

Then I began to hear voices in the distance. They were muffled, but recognizable. It appeared as though I was waking up from my slumber.

"Please don't try to hurt yourself in the future." The girl said to me as she began to walk away. Only to stop and turn back with one last thing to say.

"Be careful around your friends. Not everything is what it seems."

"And what's that supposed…."

My eye suddenly flew open, and found myself in a warm, soft bed. No doubt back in one of the hotel….brothels rooms. Reaching up to my forehead, I realized there was a hot water bottle on top of it. Nursing a rather nasty migraine.

My back and neck felt bruised, but otherwise okay. What was really bothering, was my empty stomach (Bain needs food!)

I was just thinking about getting up to get myself some food, when I heard shouting coming from the other side of the door.

"I know you've been talking to him lately!" Came a shout from Amina.

"And this bothers you?" Counters Magenta's.

"Of course it does! I want to know what you two have been talking about behind our backs!"

"Yeah!" Ren's high-pitched voice barely penetrates the wooden door.

I held my breath, and waited for Magenta to spill the beans. It seemed pointless keeping this a secret any longer. Especially now, when I had a vague idea on what was going on.

"….He was asking me about the Ghost's living in this building." (Say what!?)

"What do you mean asking about the Ghost's!?" Amina pressed.

"I'm saying he was getting bored, and wanted to meet some of the buildings previous inhabitants."

The next ten seconds were dead silent. And then Ren said something too quietly for me to make out.

"That's what he's been reading in the library?" Amina said.

This was followed by another silent pause. And then, very slowly, the door began to open.

I quickly closed my eye, and slowed my breathing. A set of footsteps, and the faint fluttering of Fairy wings approached the side of my bed.

I could feel them staring at me. But I could only guess what they were thinking as they stayed with me until maybe an hour later, as I pretended to stir, and opened my eye.

"What happened to me?" I asked Amina in a hoarse voice.

Amina looked as though she was about to yell at me. But instead, took a deep breath before answering.

"You were running around on the roof last night, and fell on your back, you idiot."

"Oh."

"Oh!?" Ren, surprisingly, quoted angrily. "Is that all you have to say!? We were woken up last night by Magenta! Telling us that you'd broken your stupid back!"

That sudden piece of information had caught me off guard. But the anger in Ren's voice, and the tears beginning to well up in her eyes' left me speechless.

"First, you start avoiding us!" Ren continued, "Then you refuse to share our room! And now you've done this to yourself!"

"I…."

"If I hadn't spent the entire night, casting healing spells on your spine, you wouldn't even be able to move right now!"

"Ren, I…."

"Do you even care about us, you ungrateful lout!?"

Amina raises a hand in her direction.

"That's enough, Ren. Let him be."

"FINE!"

"Ren!" I tried to pull myself into a sitting position as Ren flew out of the room in tears. But a huge wave of pain washed over my upper spine. Causing me to fall back down again with a pathetic groan.

"Don't move too much, sweetie." Amina said softly. Taking the water bag off my head as I readjusted myself into a more comfortably position.

"I'm sorry I…"

Amina placed a hand over my mouth.

"We don't want any more apologies from you." She announced.

"When things calm down, your going to give us answers."


End file.
